Though his reputation for punning and hoaxes is well-documented, “A Question of Utility” shows a side of our Founding Father which is often forgotten. Penned sometime around 1780, this short letter by Benjamin Franklin satirises the scientific pursuits of the Royal Academy of Brussels in a sincere, if humorous, critique of the frivolity and pretension to which our academic institutions can sometimes fall prey.
Benjamin Franklin was a printer, author, scientist, inventor, civil leader, and diplomat. He is the only Founding Father to have signed the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the Treaty of Paris, and the U.S. Constitution, and is most famous for his literary works of Poor Richard’s Almanack and his own autobiography. Today, his letter “A Question of Utility” reveals his wit and playful side.
