Benjamin Franklin's The Art of Virtue His Formula for Successful Living
In 1732, Benjamin Franklin conceived the idea of writing "... a little work for the benefit of youth, to be called The Art of Virtue." Franklin was convinced there are many people who lead bad lives that would gladly live good lives if they only knew how to make the change. He wanted to show young people why "There is no happiness ... but in virtuous and self-approving conduct," and to teach them how they might acquire those virtues most likely to secure their happiness and well-being. And, since "Most people have naturally some virtues, but none have naturally all the virtues," he belived The Art of Virtue would be of more or less benefit to all people. It was, therefore, "... to be adapted for universal use." For more than half a century, Franklin nurtured this project, collecting materials and successfully experimenting with the ideas in his own life. Unfortunately, with the pressures of public and private business, he was never able to complete that work. The project lay dormant for over 200 years until George L. Rogers extracted from Franklin's letters, essays, satires, personal notes, and autobiography those materials Franklin had planned to include in his book. Now, the guiding principles of Franklin's life are presented to modern readers in this delightfully entertaining and highly motivational book, Benjamin Franklin's The Art of Virtue. Presented as formulas for successful living, The Art of Virtue captures Franklin's timeless philosophy on such topics as: goal setting and personal achievement, obtaining wealth and preserving health, human relations and family living, religion and morality, aging and dying, and much, much more. Full of profound insights, delightful humor, quotable quotes, and plenty of common sense -- The Art of Virtue provides wonderful reading for both young and old alike.