Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Benjamin Franklin's Plug for (Traditional) Marriage

"It is the man and woman united that make the complete human being.  Separate, she wants his force of body and strength of reason; he, her softness, sensibility, an acute discernment   Together the are more likely to succeed in the world.  A single man has not nearly the value he would have in that state of union. He is an incomplete animal.  He resembles the odd half of a pair of scissors.  If you get a prudent, healthy wife, your industry in your profession, with her good economy, will be a fortune sufficient." (Koch, The American Enlightenment, p. 70.)

Franklin notes it's the man's loss if he is not married.  It would be easy to conceive that a woman in 1780 would be worse off if she wasn't married.  Women were not prepared to be independent in that era and generally relied on a husband's income.  But Franklin insists that a man will be so much better off as married than as a single man.  Franklin even goes so far as to say men are incomplete without marriage.  Marriage is wonderful institution designed and given by God for man and woman to complement each other.  The "strength of reason" and "sensibility" come together to help each other.  Franklin recognizes the innate differences between the sexes and champions them noting that together man and women are better.

While I do not subscribe to the idea that all unmarried men are incomplete animals, Franklin's point is clear: Without a wife, man is missing out on a lot of wonderfulness!

Kyle and I make a wonderful, super, awesome team.  (Please excuse all the superlatives!) Even on the days when I don't help as much as I would like, it's easy to see that life is better together!

No comments: