English 3667F/G Lecture : Lecture 007 - Franklin and Emerson
23 Dec 2011
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Franklin & emerson: 310 has a bearing on both franklin and emerson. Forced intermixture of people and beliefs was something that was observed and noticed about the american character from the beginning. In place of established religion, franklin proposes to look for rational common basis: if you were american, you could be anything. We can do everything we can for the sake of reason or utility, but ultimately, we can"t; it breaks down, and we are animals to physical appetites. List of virtues leaves out other people; set of virtues that almost entirely is self- directed, useful and purposeful. Fails in giving order; number 3 on the list of virtues (p. 289). New england conscience -> raised objection to slavery. Most literary of the writers, most a man of letters, a presence largely through his essays and through his presence on the speaking circuit. Started as a unitarian clergyman; his essays could later be viewed as unitarian sermons.
