1.) What Principles Do Franklin And Thoreau Propose For

Henry David Thoreau, a writer, poet, and naturalist, was one of the most profound philosophical minds of the nineteenth century. Publishing works such as “Nature” and Walden, Thoreau was an outspoken supporter of transcendentalist ideology. Another key figure of the era was Abraham Lincoln, America’s sixteenth president. Lincoln, level-headed and driven, would eventually play a crucial role in the abolition of slavery in the United States. The two, Thoreau and Lincoln, are characterized as wildly different. Thoreau, believing in the power of the individual, clashed head-on with Lincoln’s notion that no change can ever come about without the support of many. In addition, Lincoln and Thoreau could not have had more opposite opinions about the role of government. A final difference can be seen in the pair’s unquestionably contrasting methods of how people should conduct their lives - with passion versus with logic at the wheel. After studying the actions and ideas of the two figures, one can determine that Lincoln’s beliefs about society and government are superior to those of Thoreau. Lincoln’s ideas are more considerate of realistic life in America, as well as more effective in practice. Thoreau and Lincoln show the incredibly separate, radical ideas forming in America during the 1830’s to 40’s. These two figures are a microcosm for the immensely differing ideologies existing in the country.

Thoreau is a hugely influential character in the history of America, helping to define American thought and continue to inspire our modern ideas and authors. “Countless contemporary nature

Douglass shows that people who claimed to be moral Christians were torturers of humans. He presents the irony of this situation in the book. "His (the master's) house was the preachers' home. They (the preachers) used to take great pleasure in coming there to put up; for while he starved us, he stuffed them."(40-41) Douglass is presenting his audience with the two faces of the slave holder's version of Christianity; the selfish greed hidden behind piousness. In addition to this Douglass also makes sarcastic descriptions of people and places, describing how un-Christian they were by calling them Christian. "(I)t is almost an unpardonable offense to teach slaves to read in this Christian county."(32)

Though not prohibiting slavery, it warns slaveholders to manage their lesser men with an upmost vigilance recalling that they themselves are similarly suppressed by an even higher being. Nevertheless, Christian slave holders are deemed to be most unusually cruel. They alter the bible’s teachings in order to support their own practices. “Religion of the South is a mere covering for the most horrid crimes,—a justifier of the most appalling barbarity,—a sanctifier of the most hateful frauds… [It is the] dark shelter under, which the foulest, grossest, and most infernal deeds of slaveholders find their strongest protection” (Douglas, 117). By conjuring the most abstruse interpretations of Christian teachings, they justify their actions thus allowing for their purposeful ignorance. During his bondage under Captain Auld, Frederick Douglas observes his master consoling “religious sanction for his cruelty” (Douglas, 98). When he relentlessly whips a lame young woman and then exhibits her lacerated nude body for countless hours, he justifies his bloody deed with the Scripture quote: “He that knoweth his master’s will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes” (Douglas, 99). This girl’s supposed disobedience, however, actually proves to be helplessness, as she is impaired with the inefficacy of her hands which were burnt in a fire. Captain Auld finds religious vindications promoting his punishment of the girl’s inabilities while,

In the end, much of Henry David Thoreau’s motivation for coming to Walden Pond was for the betterment of the self. Indeed, this desire for personal betterment could be boiled down to what I’ve surmised to be the three things Thoreau valued more than anything else. Of course, these three values, self-discipline, self-reliance, and self-reflection are themselves a part of the man’s own view that everyone should try their hardest to live deliberately. Though his value system seems constrained and stiff, Thoreau spends almost the entirety of the book living out these values, and finding purpose and fulfillment in doing so.

In making this comment, Douglass sees that his master’s cruelty has become worse upon his religious conversion that creates “false” Christianity. In the church, like many others, Auld creates a “false” image of himself as an honest and righteous Christian man. He uses this self-image as a reason to justify his actions in poor treatment towards his slaves. This clearly demonstrates that the church itself is corrupted since it also benefits from Auld’s money. Although the church is corrupt, Douglass mentions that a few members showed sympathy and acted kindly towards slaves. Thus, Douglass gained this insight of what it means to be “true” and “false” Christians.

Franklin emphasizes the need for a new moral order to inform readers that we need to change our behaviour and attitude. A moral order is a new way people can have

In Benjamin Franklin’s life, he wanted to obtain moral perfection no matter what he had to do in order to achieve it. He wanted to have life in which he lived to the sincerest and honest person he could possibly be. While his goal may seem far-fetched to most, he believed it could be achieved and at least wanted to make an effort to become a better person. After reading Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography on him attempting to fulfill his goal, one can realize what he did was very reasonable and obtainable. However, one point to keep in mind is that this was something only a very few people were willing to do because being perfect can have some challenges of its own.

Henry David Thoreau was one of the prominent writers who came out of the Transcendentalist Movement in the United States during the 1820s and 1830s. Hence, the writings of Thoreau reflect the primary innate characteristics of transcendentalism, which is the strong belief in the power of the individual rather than on the group or society where he/she belongs. This is the reason that in two of Thoreau’s most known essays, “Life Without Principles” and “Civil Disobedience”, he suggested that people must follow their own will and philosophies instead of depending on the government and society. In both of these essays, it is apparent that Thoreau would like people to trust their inner selves and their mental capacities, in short, their overall essences as human beings. Thus, this paper explores these significant issues of transcendentalism as portrayed in the two mentioned essays of Thoreau, as well as the differences in their themes.

There was a total of 13 virtues the great Dr.Franklin focused on during this time to achieve his own form of “perfection.” I say this in this manner, because perfection is like the DNA sequence; unique to each individual that seeks it. The 13 things he focused on are as follows: Temperance , silence, order,

Thoreau pointed to nature for the answer. He writes in his Journal on October 1855, “Old trees are our parents, and our parents’ parents, perchance. If you would learn the secrets of Nature, you must practice more humanity than others.” Thoreau knew that nature held the secret of life, and he understood that engaging not just with nature but with other human beings was vital to living deliberately. Therefore we must practice mindfulness, be of service to others and consider

The art of virtue is a distinct method employed by Franklin. The method features thirteen different aspects: “Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Chastity, and Humility”. Franklin believed that it was essential and advantageous for one to follow this instruction of method, not only to be happy, but to attain clarity, morality, and virtue. Franklin’s first act of virtue, temperance, necessitated self-control of eating and drinking “Eat not to Dulnesss / Drink not to Elevation” (987). Franklin’s second virtue, silence, dictated not to involve yourself in useless discussion, as he illuminates “Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself” (987). Franklin’s

On this comparison essay, we will discover how John Woolman and Benjamin Franklin have low and high moral reasoning in their autobiography. We will also discuss how their religious beliefs differ, and how their contrasting beliefs make them think differently. That is why as we compare their autobiography, we will see what sets two men apart from each other. We should keep in mind that they both had low levels of moral reasoning at a young age. Even so, I found a difference in how they developed their thought.

American citizens centered society on slavery and Christian religion during the 1850s. However, these individuals failed to recognize at the time is that these two things evidently contradict one another. Christian morals and practice teaches individuals that one should not engage in action that is cruel and injustice to another. In Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, and the excerpts by Frederick Douglass both outline the hypocritical relationship between slavery and the moral code of Christianity to a full extent.

Henry David Thoreau was greatly influenced by his mentor, Ralph Waldo Emerson, a philosopher and prominent Transcendentalist. Thoreau worked as a caretaker on Emerson’s property during the 1840s. For two years, Thoreau lived in a cabin on Emerson’s property at Walden Pond. There, he wrote the 1854 collection of essays: Walden; or, Life in the Woods. A meaningful and significant quotation from the essay “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For” explains Thoreau’s reasoning behind the decision to live at Walden Pond: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived” (74). Throughout Walden, Thoreau imparts the idea that the independence and self-reliance gained by living simply in nature allow a person to realize innate human tendencies, and in doing so, improve his or her quality of life. Thoreau’s messages can also be applied to today’s world of perpetually increasing access to the ideas and opinions of others through the internet and social media.