While reading the first half of Charles Darwin’s autobiography, I learned quite a lot about his life and what his beliefs were; and how they compared to those of Benjamin Franklin. One of the first things that Darwin mentions is his enjoyment in learning and understanding things that not only interested him, but were complex and difficult for him as well. This made me think of Benjamin Franklin and how he was always curious about the world, and how he always was looking to understand new and interesting things. Another thing that was brought up constantly throughout the first half of Darwin’s autobiography, was Charles Darwin was very fond of reading; and that he sit and read for hours at a time. Darwin even goes on to say that he enjoyed reading and then going and disputing with other boys about the “veracity” — the truthfulness — of some of the statements that they read. Franklin was very similar in these aspects as well. Benjamin Franklin was an avid reader and love learning about the world and how things worked through literature. One of Franklin’s favorite things to do was get together with people and discuss the novels that they were reading. As a child, Franklin would argue with his friends because he enjoyed the arguments themselves, and as he got older Franklin — in his group, Junto — would get together with others and discuss and dispute points that were brought up in various books that they would read. Although Darwin and Franklin read slightly different things, and argued a bit differently, they both were people who enjoyed to read and took pleasure in learning about the world, and its’ truths, through literature.
A few other things that were brought up in Darwin’s autobiography that reminded me of Franklin were: Darwin keeping records of the birds that were shot while hunting, and his views on killing bird versus killing insects. Like Franklin, Darwin kept records — scientific data — that he believed would be not only helpful to himself but others as well. Darwin also brought up that he enjoyed hunting and that he believed that killing birds was fine, while when collecting insects he would not kill them, he would only take the dead ones. This is very different to Franklin’s beliefs and morals. Franklin believed that we should not kill animals; he even goes on to say that we should not kill them because they have done nothing wrong to us. Franklin did not believe in hunting, while Darwin enjoyed it and did it rather frequently. I find it interesting that many scientists seem to have some of the same beliefs and thoughts, but are mostly different in their ways.
A few other things that were brought up in Darwin’s autobiography that reminded me of Franklin were: Darwin keeping records of the birds that were shot while hunting, and his views on killing bird versus killing insects. Like Franklin, Darwin kept records — scientific data — that he believed would be not only helpful to himself but others as well. Darwin also brought up that he enjoyed hunting and that he believed that killing birds was fine, while when collecting insects he would not kill them, he would only take the dead ones. This is very different to Franklin’s beliefs and morals. Franklin believed that we should not kill animals; he even goes on to say that we should not kill them because they have done nothing wrong to us. Franklin did not believe in hunting, while Darwin enjoyed it and did it rather frequently. I find it interesting that many scientists seem to have some of the same beliefs and thoughts, but are mostly different in their ways.