Final answer:
Reading the Spectator significantly influenced Benjamin Franklin's development, particularly in writing skills and moral reasoning, reflecting the intellectual and moral ideals of the Enlightenment in his personal and public life.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography, reading volumes of the Spectator played a significant part in his self-education and development. The Spectator was known for its persuasive essays that sought to refine behaviors and promote a genteel set of manners. Franklin used the style he found in the Spectator to hone his writing skills, and it influenced his emphasis on clear, effective communication and moral reasoning in line with his deistic beliefs. Notably, his alignment with Enlightenment principles, such as inquiry and tolerance, and the promotion of public virtuous behavior through his works and initiatives, like establishing the Library Company of Philadelphia and the American Philosophical Society, were reflective of the intellectual and moral frameworks he encountered in his readings of the Spectator.