
Contents
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Education and Enlightenment Education and Enlightenment
-
Religious Reform Religious Reform
-
Moral Reform Moral Reform
-
The Limits of Reform The Limits of Reform
-
Political Reform Political Reform
-
Our “Happy Mediocrity” Our “Happy Mediocrity”
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
6 Benjamin Franklin’s American Enlightenment
Get access-
Published:August 2016
Cite
Abstract
The image of the self-made man is one of the most enduring images of the ideal American, and no one gave this greater expression than did Benjamin Franklin. Franklin’s Autobiography is a testimony to the Enlightenment’s belief in the power of education to bring about both individual and social progress. Franklin’s life was nothing if not a testimony to the ability to rise and achieve greatness through one’s own unaided efforts. Yet, it is argued, it is wrong to reduce Franklin’s life to a few simple clichés about the “gospel of wealth” or the dour Protestant work ethic. His was a life suffused with humor, a capacity for self-reflection, the love of conversation, and a vivid sense of our own imperfection. Franklin’s was the model of the American Enlightenment that combined both pragmatism and idealism as the best means of achieving progress.
Sign in
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing informationMonth: | Total Views: |
---|---|
October 2022 | 2 |
February 2023 | 3 |
November 2023 | 2 |
April 2024 | 1 |
August 2024 | 1 |
November 2024 | 2 |
April 2025 | 2 |
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.