Benjamin Franklin, one of the original Founding Fathers of our new nation, had a strong affinity for Chinese literature and culture. Whether or not he was truly influenced by the early Taoist writings, his ultimate synthesis of the principles he vowed to uphold for the remainder of his life are decidedly Taoist in content. He listed these “virtues” in his autobiography. There are thirteen of them and presented here for the reader’s convenience:
1. TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
2. SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
3. ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
4. RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
5. FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
6. INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. MODERATION. Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
11. TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
13. HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
Nonetheless, Franklin lived his life in keeping with the principles of Tao and social propriety laid out by Confucius. He was in his early thirties when he published “From the Morals of Confucius” in his weekly, “The Pennsylvania Gazette”. There he summarized the moral guidance that Confucius proposed for a great society. Remember, even then, in Colonial America, China was one of the great flourishing civilizations. It had a long continues history dating back some 3,000 years. Franklin looked to a well established China for inspiration regarding how our fledgling nation should grow. The online references cited below make the case for China’s influence on our sixth president.
Publically, Franklin professed to be a Deist, although he was raised Presbyterian. Renouncing his Christian and Puritan up bring, he – like many other freethinkers of his time – embraced a philosophy and belief that rejected the doctrines of any of the organized religions of the day which was aligned more with naturalism. Rather than a god that intervenes in human affairs, Deist believe in a First Cause, or Prime Mover, that got everything started but then left the universe to develop on its own governed by the natural laws. In their day, Deist were decried by the Christian establishment as atheists, a label that Deists emphatically reject. Interestingly, at its most fundamental level, Taoists would not find contradiction with Deists. Where Deists are more aligned with Aristotle’s Ho Ou Kinoúmenon Kineî (That Which Moves without Being Moved). Taoists simply call the same process Tao.
The lesson to be learned here from Franklin is that even as far back as America’s Colonial Period Americans were diverse in their beliefs. The very principles that our nation was founded upon were established by the ideas and beliefs of men such as John Locke, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Ben Franklin, all Deists, who had openly rejected Christianity. Hard to believe that the ancient philosophical works of China, which had been translated by Jesuit missionaries and widely published throughout Europe and the Colonies, did not play an influential role in the development of our Framers newly developing religion. The argument certainly could be made that Deism is a refashioning of Taoist’s beliefs with just enough Christian elements left so as not to be deemed pagan or atheistlc by the public at large.
Chinese influences in colonial America
Early exposure to Chinese Culture
Studies Confucious writings
Embraces Confuccian Principles
Dedicates life to Taoist ideals
Online Sources:
http://www.benfranklin300.org/_etc_pdf/franklinchina.pdf
http://www.historytools.org/sources/Franklin-religion.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism