Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790) was an American polymath, statesman, scientist, inventor, writer, printer, philosopher, and Founding Father of the United States. Among the most influential intellectuals of the Enlightenment, Franklin earned the title “The First American” for his tireless advocacy of colonial unity and his diplomatic efforts to secure French support during the American Revolution.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Franklin received only two years of formal schooling before beginning work in his father’s candlemaking shop. At age twelve, he became an apprentice to his brother James, a printer, where he developed his love of reading and writing. By age seventeen, he had run away to Philadelphia, where he would build his fortune and reputation.
Franklin’s scientific contributions were remarkable. His experiments with electricity, including the famous kite experiment, established the nature of lightning and led to the invention of the lightning rod. He also invented bifocal glasses, the Franklin stove, and the glass armonica. His curiosity extended to oceanography, meteorology, and demography.
As a civic leader, Franklin founded the American Philosophical Society, the first lending library, the University of Pennsylvania, and the first fire department in Philadelphia. His wit and wisdom, expressed through Poor Richard’s Almanack, shaped American culture for generations.
Franklin’s vision of human progress through science and reason resonates strongly with transhumanist thought. His belief that future generations would master nature, extend human life, and achieve powers beyond imagination prefigured modern discussions of technological enhancement and human flourishing.