Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography - The work of a selfish man?

part of his apprenticeship as being “a useful hand to his brother”. And Franklin seems to have taken the advices of his family members for granted, too:

[…] my Father happened to find my papers, and read them. Without entering into the discussion, he took occasion to talk to me about the manner of my Writing […] I saw the Justice of his Remarks, and thence grew more attentive to the Manner in Writing, and determined to endeavor at Improvement. (Franklin, 546)

Although the future signer of the Declaration of Independence is seeking to improve his own abilities, he does not totally rely on himself only. This piece of advice from his father might have had an influence on his future writing style, too. But there are not only examples of Franklin as someone who just helps people or accepts the help and support of othe rs only when it is valuable for him. We also find accounts of a Benjamin Franklin who does something for others without personal profit. After Franklin has worked for some years as an apprentice at his brother’s printing business, he heads out for New York but there he soon is recommended to continue his voyage farther, to Philadelphia, where he might find a good job. On the long and exhausting boat trip, one scene can be interpreted as a sign of growing responsibility and helpfulness of Franklin: “In our Way a drunken Dutchman, who was a Passenger too, fell overboard; when he was sinking I reach’d thro’ the Water to his shock Pate ² and drew him up so that we got him in again” (Franklin, 551). On the one hand, this is a behavior one could certainly expect from every righteous citizen. But on the other hand, it is impressive and not self-explanatory to see a “boy of but 17” (Franklin, 551) doing this. Another little anecdote in the same direction is about Franklin’s friend Collins who he meets some time later back in New York. They have known each other since childhood and are therefore well acquainted. The years both have not met, however, have changed Collins, and in the meantime he has become an alcoholic. Nevertheless, Franklin exhibits great trust towards his childhood friend: “He had gam’d too and lost his Money, so that I was oblig’d to discharge ³ his Lodgings, and defray his Expenses to and at Philadelphia: Which prov’d extremely inconvenient to me” (Franklin, 558). The relationship between the two worsens. When Collins leaves for Barbados as a last refuge for a man who has nothing valuable left, it is clear that Franklin will never see his money

² “Shaggy head of hair” (Franklin, 551)

³ “To release him from debt by paying his bills” (Franklin, 558)

again. In this case, the intended aid for an old friend has resulted in a probably relatively high financial loss for the so-called selfish Benjamin Franklin - he even calls it “one of the first great Errata of my life” (Franklin, 559).

The next evidence that contradicts egoism can be found in the account Franklin gives on his time in London. The co-workers of the second business he works in ⁴ “were great Guzzlers of Beer” (Franklin, 567). Probably also because of personal experience with his friend Collins in New York, Franklin seems to be no great fan of workmen drinking beer while on duty. In contrast, he tries to change their behavior by addressing one of his colleagues:

I endeavor’d to convince him that the Bodily Strength afforded by Beer could only be in proportion to the Grain or Flour of the Barley dissolved in the Water of which it was made; that there was more Flour in a Penny-worth of Bread, and therefore if he would eat that with a Pint of Water, it would give him more Strength that a Quart of Beer. (Franklin, 567)

Unfortunately, his advice remains unheard. However, no signs of selfishness can be found in this extract. We do not see a Benjamin Franklin who is out to get the valuable things from people for his own purposes and then leaves them standing alone. Instead, Franklin presents himself as a source of important hints and a friendly and wise fellow man.

With this episode, Franklin’s account of his early years ends. Once more he retreats back to Philadelphia. Here, he works for his old boss, Keimer, but after a short period gets into serious quarrels with him. A new opportunity arises, however, and so he starts a business partnership with his friend Meredith. Besides, Franklin forms a club, called the “Junto” ⁵ . And if one follows the arguments made earlier, it is only self-explanatory that the purpose of this club is definitely not to enrich Franklin monetarily or to give him a super-ordinate position over his friends. Quite the reverse, the purpose is “mutual Improvement”, undoubtedly “to be conducted in the sincere Spirit of Enquiry after Truth, without fondness for Dispute, or Desire of Victory; and to prevent Warmth, all expressions of Positiveness in Opinion, or of direct Contradiction, were after some time made contraband and prohibited under

⁴ “Watts’s near Lincoln’s Inn Fields” (Franklin, 567)

⁵ I.e., “a small, select group (the name is taken from the Spanish word junta, ‘fraternity’)” (Franklin, 576)