Final answer:
Franklin's thirteen virtues were meant to guide individual behavior and strengthen the republic, influenced by his Deist beliefs and Enlightenment thought. While he did not address inheritance directly, his emphasis on hard work suggests he may have seen it as a hurdle to virtue. His ideas contribute to the concept of republican virtue, promoting a well-ordered society.
Step-by-step explanation:
Benjamin Franklin listed thirteen virtues that he believed would lead to both personal and societal success. In developing his list, Franklin was influenced by his Deist beliefs, which emphasized that morality and personal virtue were more critical than religious orthodoxy. Franklin's list did not directly address what happens when children inherit great wealth instead of working for it, but his belief in hard work as a pathway to virtue suggests he might have viewed inheritance as a potential obstacle to developing virtue. Regarding the factors Franklin might have ignored, one could argue that he overlooked systemic and societal barriers that could prevent individuals from achieving success purely through hard work and good behavior.
Franklin's values align with the notion of republican virtue, implying that the health of the republic depended on the virtue of its citizens. He believed that virtues such as temperance, courage, and justice were essential for the proper functioning of society. These virtues, aligned with the development of good character and rational deliberation, support the idea of a well-ordered and harmonious republic, similarly reflected in the philosophies of Aristotle and Plato.