Benjamin Franklin Quotes About Mankind

• All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Motivational, Attitude, War

• Tis a common observation here that our cause is the cause of all mankind, and that we are fighting for their liberty in defending our own.

  Benjamin Franklin

  War, Fighting, Liberty

  Benjamin Franklin, Ralph Louis Ketcham (2003). “The Political Thought of Benjamin Franklin”, p.303, Hackett Publishing

• In general, mankind, since the improvement of cookery, eats twice as much as nature requires.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Nature, Food, Cooking

  Poor Richard's Almanack (1734)

• Thinking aloud is a habit which is responsible for most of mankind's misery.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Thinking, Misery, Habit

• When will mankind be convinced and agree to settle their difficulties by arbitration?

  Benjamin Franklin

  War, Arbitration, Compromise

• I hope...that mankind will at length, as they call themselves reasonable creatures, have reason and sense enough to settle their differences without cutting throats; for in my opinion there never was a good war, or a bad peace.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Peace, War, Cutting

• In short, I conceive that great part of the miseries of mankind are brought upon them by the false estimates they have made of the value of things, and by their giving too much for their whistles.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Gratitude, Priorities, Misery

  "Great American Lives: The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie, and The Education of Henry Adams".

• It is the duty of mankind on all suitable occasions to acknowledge their dependence on the Divine Being... Almighty God would mercifully interpose and still the rage of war among the nations... He would take this province under His protection, confound the designs and defeat the attempts of its enemies, and unite our hearts and strengthen our hands in every undertaking that may be for the public good, and for our defense and security in this time of danger.

  Benjamin Franklin

  War, Heart, Hands

• I have always thought that one man of tolerable abilities may work great changes, and accomplish great affairs among mankind, if he first forms a good plan, and, cutting off all amusements or other employments that would divert his attention, make the execution of that same plan his sole study and business.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Philosophy, Work, Cutting

  Benjamin Franklin, Ulysses S. Grant, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Adams (2016). “Great American Lives: The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie, and The Education of Henry Adams”, p.110, Open Road Media

• All wars are follies, very expensive and very mischievous ones. In my opinion, there never was a good war or a bad peace. When will mankind be convinced and agree to settle their difficulties by arbitration?

  Benjamin Franklin

  War, Arbitration, Opinion

• I firmly believe this ... that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better, than the builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing governments by human wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest.

  Benjamin Franklin

  War, Believe, Bye

  Constitutional Convention Address on Prayer, delivered Thursday, June 28, 1787, Philadelphia, PA

• Mankind are dastardly when they meet with opposition.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Mankind, Opposition

• Perhaps the history of the errors of mankind, all things considered, is more valuable and interesting than that of their discoveries. Truth is uniform and narrow; it constantly exists, and does not seem to require so much an active energy, as a passive aptitude of the soul in order to encounter it. But error is endlessly diversified; it has no reality, but is the pure and simple creation of the mind that invents it. In this field the soul has room enough to expand herself, to display all her boundless faculties, and all her beautiful and interesting extravagancies and absurdities.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Beautiful, Simple, Reality

• What vast additions to the conveniences and comforts of living might mankind have acquired, if the money spent in wars had been employed in works of public utility; what an extension of agriculture even to the tops of our mountains; what rivers rendered navigable, or joined by canals; what bridges, aqueducts, new roads, and other public works, edifices, and improvements might not have been obtained by spending those millions in doing good, which in the last war have been spent in doing mischief.

  Benjamin Franklin

  War, Bridges, Rivers

  Benjamin Franklin (2006). “The Portable Benjamin Franklin”, p.332, Penguin

• That wise Men have in all Ages thought Government necessary for the Good of Mankind; and, that wise Governments have always thought Religion necessary for the well ordering and well-being of Society, and accordingly have been ever careful to encourage and protect the Ministers of it, paying them the highest publick Honours, that their Doctrines might thereby meet with the greater Respect among the common People.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Wise, Men, People

• Mankind naturally and generally love to be flatter'd.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Mankind

  Benjamin Franklin (2006). “The Portable Benjamin Franklin”, p.365, Penguin

• an enormous proportion of property vested in a few individuals is dangerous to the rights, and destructive of the common happiness of mankind, and, therefore, every free state hath a right by its laws to discourage the possession of such property.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Rights, Law, Common

  Benjamin Franklin, Edmund Sears Morgan (2006). “Not Your Usual Founding Father: Selected Readings from Benjamin Franklin”, p.257, Yale University Press

• Do you sincerely declare that you love mankind in general, of what profession or religion soever? Do you think any person ought to be harmed in his body, name, or goods, for mere speculative opinions, or his external way of worship? Do you love truth for truth's sake; and will you endeavor impartially to find and receive it yourself, and communicate it to others.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Thinking, Names, Body

  Benjamin Franklin, Walter Isaacson (2003). “A Benjamin Franklin Reader”, p.83, Simon and Schuster

• It might be judged an affront to your understanding should I go about to prove this first principle; the existence of a Diety and that He is the Creator of the universe, for that would suppose you ignorant of what all mankind in all ages have agreed in.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Understanding, Ignorant, Age

  Benjamin Franklin (1856). “The works of Benjamin Franklin: containing several political and historical tracts not included in any former edition, and many letters, official and private, not hitherto published ; with notes and a life of the author”, p.526

• Mankind are very odd creatures:
  one half censure what they practice,
  the other half practice what they censure;
  the rest always say and do as they ought.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Practice, Half, Odd

  Benjamin Franklin (2007). “Poor Richard's Almanack”, p.61, Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.

• It is the duty of mankind on all suitable occasions to acknowledge their dependence on the Divine Being.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Divine, Duty, Mankind

  Andrew M. Allison, Willard Cleon Skousen, M. Richard Maxfield, Benjamin Franklin (1982). “The Real Benjamin Franklin”

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