Work Ethic: Douglass and Franklin

Introduction

Although they lived in different centuries and had very different backgrounds, Frederick Douglass and Benjamin Franklin share many similarities. Both men were born into humble beginnings but rose to become widely respected leaders. They were both self-educated and used their writing talents to further their causes. And both men were tireless advocates for the rights of others, whether it was Douglass fighting for the freedom of all Americans or Franklin working to secure civil rights for African Americans. In many ways, these two great men were ahead of their times, and their legacy continues to inspire people today. This paper will explore what both men thought about work ethic, how they envisioned it, and what it meant to them, as can be seen in their respective autobiographies and other works like Self-Made Men and Way to Wealth.

What is the Self-Made Man?

Douglass states quite clearly in Self-Made Men that Self-made men are the men who, under peculiar difficulties and without the ordinary helps of favoring circumstances, have attained knowledge, usefulness, power and position and have learned from themselves the best uses to which life can be put in this world, and in the exercises of these uses to build up worthy character. Yet he also acknowledges that no man is ever truly independent of those around him or of those who have come before. In his opening to the address, Douglass clarifies this point, stating that

We have all either begged, borrowed, or stolen. We have reaped where others have sown, and that which others have strown, we have gathered. It must in truth be said, though it may not accord well with self-conscious individuality and self-conceit, that no possible native force of character, and no depth of wealth and originality, can lift a man into absolute independence of his fellowmen, and no generation of men can be independent of the preceding generation. The brotherhood and interdependence of mankind are guarded and defended at all points.

These two statements taken together help to represent an important recognition that Douglass makes, for it shows how self-made men have a work ethic that rises above the ordinary, but that they are also dependent upon some degree to the labor of others who have either come before or who are working alongside them at the same time. In short, work ethic is vital and necessary if one is going to succeedbut one must be honest about the fact that no one ever has or ever will succeed wholly on his own or due to his own merits.

Douglass further underscores this point in both his Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and Self-Made Men, when he discusses the importance of work and its rewards. In the Narrative, Douglass describes how work was a central part of his life as a slave. He was often forced to work long hours in grueling conditions, with little rest or respite. However, despite the difficulties, he found that work could be a source of pride and satisfaction. It was through his hard work that he was able to gain skills and knowledge that helped him to eventually escape from slavery. In Self-Made Men, Douglass expands on these ideas, discussing how work can help individuals to improve their social and economic status. He argues that through hard work, people can lift themselves up out of poverty and create better lives for themselves and their families. In both works, then, Douglass emphasizes the importance of work as a means of achieving success in life.

Franklin and the Way to Wealth

This position of Douglass is really not that much different from the position of Ben Franklin, as is made clear in his Autobiography and his pamphlet The Way to Wealth. In both his Autobiography and his pamphlet, Franklin discusses the importance of work and its rewards. In the Autobiography, he lays the foundation of work ethic with the following anecdote:

In the evening, when the workmen were gone, I assembled a number of my play-fellows, and working with them diligently like so many emmets, sometimes two or three to a stone, we brought them all away and built our little wharff. The next morning the workmen were surprised at missing the stones, which were found in our wharff. Inquiry was made after the removers; we were discovered and complained of; several of us were corrected by our fathers; and though I pleaded the usefulness of the work, mine convinced me that nothing was useful which was not honest (Franklin 9).

The features of this work ethic are dedication and commitment but also honesty. The ethic is there to work and succeed at a young age, but as his father points out one must work at something ethicallythat is, honestly. Throughout the Autobiography it is apparent that such a work ethic is ultimately what leads to Franklins success.

Likewise, in The Way to Wealth, Franklin makes a similar argument, implying that virtue must be the bedrock of all hard work, and stating that we are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride, and four times as much by our folly. He rails against sloth, which he sees as a disease and a vice: Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears, while the used key is always bright (Franklin). He goes on to say that those who are lazy will never prosper, no matter how much natural talent...…heart is put, and which, in both temporal and spiritual affairs, is the true miracle worker. Everyone may avail himself of this marvelous power, if he will. This is the same kind of work that Franklin describes early on in his autobiographyhonest workwork that one can call fair because it is ones own, with ones own resources and materials. Honesty must be the basis of the work.

But Douglass also states that there is no royal road to perfection. This means that the path to improvement is not reserved only for those who already possess power and influence. ather, the road to perfection is open to everyone but is often fraught with challenges and obstacles. This is certainly true in Douglass' own life; his journey from slavery to freedom was long and difficult, and required immense courage and determination. However, Douglass ultimately triumphed over adversity, and his story serves as an inspiration to us all.

Ultimately, work ethic is a view upon which Douglass and Franklin share similar ideas, even though they have two very different experiences regarding work and what it means to work for oneself. Franklin started out working for himself, while Douglass started out working to improve himself so that he could one day work for himself. Yet in the end, both dedicated themselves to working for othersi.e., for their country, for their countrymen, for those they wanted to help. Perhaps that is the greatest reward for work that each discoveredthe ability to put ones own efforts towards benefiting and uplifting others.

Conclusion

Though they lived in different centuries and came from vastly different backgrounds, Benjamin Franklin and Frederick Douglass were both remarkable men who helped to shape the course of American history. As a founding father, Franklin was instrumental in creating the structure of the United States government. He also played a key role in negotiating the Peace of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War. In addition to his political accomplishments, Franklin was also a noted inventor and scientist, and his work helped to launch the Age of Enlightenment. Douglass, on the other hand, was an African-American abolitionist and social reformer who fought for the rights of all people, regardless of race or gender. Born into slavery, he managed to escape and eventually became one of the most famous orators of his time. Though their life experiences could not have been more different, both Franklin and Douglass left a lasting legacy as men who fought for progress and justice. Yet the one common denominator in all of it was their belief in hard work and in the virtue of having a strong work ethic. As Douglass put it best, the summation of these beliefs can be heard in the words: Work! Work!…