Question

In The Autobiography, why does Franklin rank his virtues in the order he does?

He believes his character flaws demand that he master certain virtues first.


He ranks them in order of importance so that the greatest will be mastered first.


He believes acquiring certain virtues will make it easier to master others.


He thinks that the mastery of certain virtues will bring quick prosperity.

Answer 1

The correct answer is C. He ranks his virtues in that way because he believes that acquiring certain virtues will make it easier to master others. In the Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin showed his focus on self-improvement and how he was constantly aiming to a "Moral Perfection". He kept track of his progress towards a virtuous life using a chart with 13 virtues.