On Human Nature

Benjamin Franklin

[Reprinted from the book, Triumph In Paris: The Exploits of Benjamin Franklin, by David Schoenbrun, published by Harper & Row, New York, 1976 (p.387). Quoted from a letter by Franklin to Joseph Priestley during 1783]

Reprinted from the book, Triumph In Paris: The Exploits of Benjamin Franklin, by David Schoenbrun, published by Harper & Row, New York, 1976 (p.387). Quoted from a letter by Franklin to Joseph Priestley during 1783 I should rejoice much, if I could once more recover the Leisure to search with you into the works of Nature; I mean the inanimate, not the animate or moral part of them. . . . Men I find to be a son of Being very badly constructed, as they are generally more easily provok'd than reconcil'd, more dispos'd to do Mischief to each other than to make Reparation, much more easily deceiv'd than undeceiv'd, and having more Pride and even Pleasure in killing than begetting one another; for, without a Blush, they assemble in great Armies at Noon Day to destroy, and when they have kill'd as many as they can, they exaggerate the Number to augment the fancied Glory; but they creep into corners or cover themselves with the Darkness of night, when they mean to beget, as being asham'd of a virtuous action. A virtuous Action it would be, and a vicious one the killing of them, if the Species were really worth producing or preserving; but of this I begin to doubt.

When, thro' the clouds of smoke, he saw the Fire of the Guns, the Decks cover'd with mangled Limbs, and Bodies dead or dying, the ships sinking, burning or blown into the Air; and the Quantity of Pain, Misery and Destruction, the Crews yet alive were thus with such eagerness dealing rounds to one another; he turn'd angrily to his Guide, and said "You blundering Blockhead, you are ignorant of your Business, you undertook to conduct me to Earth and you have brought me to hell!" "No, Sir," says the Guide, "I have made no mistake, this is really the Earth, and these are men. Devils never treat one another in this cruel manner; they have more Sense, and more of what Men (vainly) call Humanity."