According to Franklin, everything was about planning things in ahead and having a clear vision of what one needs to do to go from point A to point B. At the end of the chapter he asserts “I have always thought that one man of tolerable abilities may work great changes, and accomplish great affairs among mankind, if he first forms a good plan, and, cutting off all amusements or other employments that would divert his attention, makes the execution of that same plan his sole study and business.” Franklin, through his narrative, is trying to show that access to education is what has made and will continue to make America a great country, which will lead to bringing the nation forward as a dominant player in the world. Being remembered as one of the country’s founding fathers, Franklin made sure to include in his Autobiography how he came about to elevate himself from his “lowly station” as the youngest son in a family of seventeen t o his ultimate status.

                  He does this by telling the story of his life so that the others might learn by his example. He constructed his famous table of 13 virtues to show that people can improve their moral and overall worth through the application of industry. He hopes that others, his readers, can use his methods and habits to improve themselves financially, and gain personal improvement, the beginnings of which would later in history be known as the American Dream.

                  Descartes, on the other hand, believes on the “natural light” and that it should all be based on what God teaches you. However, he also thinks that the “correct path” to learning is by not taking things as to be true, but instead questioning everything that one reads or hears from others. His methods also include the possession of “good sense” and distinguishing the truth from fiction. He believes that, through education, people can learn a lot, through the study of oneself, as well as the world, both being just as important.