When most
people today hear the word “virtue,” they usually don’t think “manliness.”
Having virtue or being virtuous is looked at as being sissy or effeminate. In
fact, we sometimes use the word in today’s vernacular to describe a
woman’ssexual conduct.
However,
virtue is far from being sissy or effeminate. The word “virtue” is actually
rooted in “manliness.” “Virtue” comes from the Latin virtus, which
in turn is derived from vir, Latin for “manliness.” Cicero, a
famous Roman statesman and writer, enumerated the cardinal virtues that every
man should try to live up to. They included justice, prudence, courage, and
temperance. In order to have honor, a Roman man had to live each of the four
virtues. When Aristotle encouraged men in the ancient world to live “the
virtuous life,” it was really a call to man up.
One man
took up Aristotle’s challenge to live the virtuous or manly life with
particular fervor: Benjamin Franklin.
Franklin’s Quest for Moral Perfection
Benjamin
Franklin is an American legend. He single handily invented the idea of the
“self-made man.” Despite being born into a poor family and only receiving two
years of formal schooling, Franklin became a successful printer, scientist,
musician, and author. Oh, and in his spare time he helped found a country, and
then serve as its diplomat.
The key to
Franklin’s success was his drive to constantly improve himself and accomplish
his ambitions. In 1726, at the age of 20, Ben Franklin set his loftiest goal:
the attainment of moral perfection.
I
conceiv’d the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection. I
wish’d to live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer all
that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me into.
In order to
accomplish his goal, Franklin developed and committed himself to a personal
improvement program that consisted of living 13 virtues. The 13 virtues were:
- “TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to
elevation.”
- “SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or
yourself; avoid trifling conversation.”
- “ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let
each part of your business have its time.”
- “RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought;
perform without fail what you resolve.”
- “FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to
others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.”
- “INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ’d in
something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.”
- “SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think
innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.”
- “JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or
omitting the benefits that are your duty.”
- “MODERATION. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting
injuries so much as you think they deserve.”
- “CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body,
cloaths, or habitation.”
- “TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at
accidents common or unavoidable.”
- “CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or
offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or
another’s peace or reputation.”
- “HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.”
While
Franklin never accomplished his goal of moral perfection, and had some notable
flaws (womanizing and his love of beer probably gave him problems with chastity
and temperance), he felt he benefited from the attempt at it.
Tho’ I
never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell
far short of it, yet I was, by the endeavour, a better and a happier man than I
otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it.
Applying Franklin’s pursuit of “the virtuous life” in your life
Here are The
Art of Manliness we want to resurrect the idea that being manly means being
virtuous. We think old Ben Franklin can show us a thing or two on how best to
live a virtuous (or manly) life.
In order to
help you live the virtuous life, we’re going to highlight one of Ben’s virtues
that you can focus on throughout the week. We’ll find a great man from history
that exemplified that virtue and extract practical lessons from them that can
help us live that virtue more fully. When we get done with Franklin’s virtues,
we’ll add some more.
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