The main thing that most stuck out to me about the third part of Benjamin Franklin's biography was how he takes it upon himself to teach what he knows to others and how seriously he seems to take that responsibility. When he talks about his printing business, he usually ends with advising young printers to do the same. For example, when he opposes printing "private altercations" in his paper, he says "These things I mention as caution to young printers, and that they may be encouraged not to pollute their papers and disgrace their profession by such infamous practices, but refuse steadily, as they may see by my example that such course of conduct will not, on the whole, be injurious to their interests." He constantly uses his life experiences as lessons to other people, suggesting that his aim in writing this biography is not just to brag about his accomplishments or tell about his life, but to use what he has learned to teach others to improve their lives.
While such an authoritative position on virtue and wise business and social practices as Franklin takes could be easily construed as arrogant, this does not seem to be the case with Franklin. This is mainly due to the fact that he does not simply boast about his own accomplishments, but also the accomplishments of others. In talking about the fire company and how he and his committee got it up and running, he constantly refers to his achievements with "we" instead of "I," sharing the credit with his peers. He also talks about how the widow of the man in South Carolina to whom he lent printing materials takes it upon herself to bring the business out of debt and buy it from Franklin in a short time period. He then boasts of how good she was with finances and proposes that all women in America be taught to manage money. He takes the attention off of himself and praises someone else numerous times like this one, discussing also travelling preachers that he favored. This praise of other people shows that his intentions in writing this autobiography can't be arrogant and selfish because he does not brag about anything. He admits his short comings, as seen in the second part when he talks about how he has trouble conquering the virtue of order, and advises people on what he has found successful in life so that they might learn from both his mistakes and his successes.
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I do not believe that Franklin’s purpose in writing the autobiography is completely unselfish. Franklin does praise others whom he feels are good examples of successful and honorable people, and he does want others to learn from his successes and failures. However, many instances in the autobiography in which Franklin exhibit the desire to be acknowledged and praised for his achievements. Franklin, most of all, cannot stand to have others take credit for his ideas. Franklin writes, “The present little sacrifice of your vanity will afterwards be amply repaid. If it remains a while uncertain to whom the merit belongs, some one more vain than yourself will be encouraged to claim it, and then even envy will be disposed to do you justice by plucking those assumed feathers and restoring them to their right owner.” Though in this instance Franklin does not tell the public that the idea for a library was his own, he did so because he believed that the idea will gain more support if he told people it was the ideas of his friends. Franklin may have written this autobiography not only to help people improve their lives but also to obtain credit for all his pass achievements that he did not officially claim credit for such as the stove.
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