The Intellectual

Abstract

Chapter 8 outlines how Franklin gained international fame for discoveries he made about electricity and the nature of lightning, not to mention the inventions he produced on the basis of this knowledge. The Philadelphian’s scientific achievements, which gained a notable place in the Enlightenment, were largely the product of a curiosity that was indefatigable, as well as a dedication to share information and learn about the discoveries of other natural philosophers. But it was also indirectly an outworking of Protestant understandings of the natural world. Although that outlook was responsible for disenchanting the Christian cosmos of medieval Christendom, it also encouraged inquiry that looked beyond spiritual significance to understanding how nature worked.