Monday, July 07, 2003
Benjamin Franklin
These lines were once used to describe an unusual American genius, Richard Feynman. "There are two kinds of geniuses: the 'ordinary' and the 'magicians'. An ordinary genius is a fellow whom you and I would be just as good as, if we were only many times better. There is no mystery as to how his mind works. Once we understand what they've done, we feel certain that we, too, could have done it. It is different with the magicians. Even after we understand what they have done it is completely dark. Richard Feynman is a magician of the highest calibre."
One could easily substitute Richard Feynman with Benjamin Franklin and I believe the same description would hold true. July 4th weekend and thereabouts is as good a time as any to remember Franklin, possibly the greatest polymath that lived since Leonardo Da Vinci -- the best scientist, inventor, diplomat, business strategist all-rolled- into-one of the 18th century.
Walter Isaacson, the former head of CNN, has written an excellent biography of the man called "Benjamin Franklin : An American Life." Amazon's review of the book reads partially thus -- Benjamin Franklin, writes journalist and biographer Walter Isaacson, was that rare Founding Father who would sooner wink at a passer-by than sit still for a formal portrait. What's more, Isaacson relates in this fluent and entertaining biography, the revolutionary leader represents a political tradition that has been all but forgotten today, one that prizes pragmatism over moralism, religious tolerance over fundamentalist rigidity, and social mobility over class privilege. That broadly democratic sensibility allowed Franklin his contradictions, as Isaacson shows.
In addition, Time is carrying a special spread on him thats well worth a read. A couple of Franklin quotes from the special spread are well worth remembering in these troubled times.
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
"The opinions people have are almost as various as their faces. The job of printers is to allow people to express these differing opinions. There would be very little printed if publishers produced only things that offended nobody. Printers are educated in the belief that when men differ in opinion, both sides ought equally to have the advantage of being heard by the public; and that when Truth and Error have fair play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."
One could easily substitute Richard Feynman with Benjamin Franklin and I believe the same description would hold true. July 4th weekend and thereabouts is as good a time as any to remember Franklin, possibly the greatest polymath that lived since Leonardo Da Vinci -- the best scientist, inventor, diplomat, business strategist all-rolled- into-one of the 18th century.
Walter Isaacson, the former head of CNN, has written an excellent biography of the man called "Benjamin Franklin : An American Life." Amazon's review of the book reads partially thus -- Benjamin Franklin, writes journalist and biographer Walter Isaacson, was that rare Founding Father who would sooner wink at a passer-by than sit still for a formal portrait. What's more, Isaacson relates in this fluent and entertaining biography, the revolutionary leader represents a political tradition that has been all but forgotten today, one that prizes pragmatism over moralism, religious tolerance over fundamentalist rigidity, and social mobility over class privilege. That broadly democratic sensibility allowed Franklin his contradictions, as Isaacson shows.
In addition, Time is carrying a special spread on him thats well worth a read. A couple of Franklin quotes from the special spread are well worth remembering in these troubled times.
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
"The opinions people have are almost as various as their faces. The job of printers is to allow people to express these differing opinions. There would be very little printed if publishers produced only things that offended nobody. Printers are educated in the belief that when men differ in opinion, both sides ought equally to have the advantage of being heard by the public; and that when Truth and Error have fair play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."
