Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Part 9 summary
Part 9 of 23 · 17 min to read the part
In Plan for Achieving Moral Perfection, the narrator organizes thirteen virtues into a system of weekly practice, daily examination, and recorded faults, finding improvement rather than perfection. He explains his difficulties with order and pride, describes an unwritten guide to virtue, and outlines a proposed society whose development remains blocked by other responsibilities.
What happens
- The narrator finds that knowing right from wrong cannot overcome habit, so he defines thirteen virtues and practices them separately.
- He creates daily fault tables, assigns each virtue a week, and draws up a daily schedule.
- His faults decrease, but Order remains difficult, and competing responsibilities bring his regular examinations to an end.
- He credits the practice with greater happiness and describes a planned guide to virtue that remains unwritten.
- A Quaker friend exposes his pride, prompting him to add Humility and adopt less forceful ways of expressing opinions.
- He outlines a religiously inclusive society for mutual improvement, but business and public duties prevent him from developing it.

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Quick check
Which virtue gives the narrator the most trouble?

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