Good Deeds Throughout William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation

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Psychology Today claims humans perform good deeds because of human nature. Psychologists define this concept, altruism, as the practice of selfless concern for the well-being of others. However, in today’s society, performing good deeds seems to be questionable. Do people really do good deeds, and do they sincerely execute their actions? Puritan philosophy, which appeared in the early 1600s, people only executed good deeds because they feared not being rewarded. Humanist philosophy, which emerged in the early 1700s, insisted that people perform good deeds because they want to make the world a better place. In many occasions, people perform good deeds because they fear they will not reap the benefits later on; however, in some instances, people …show more content…
Biblical references throughout William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation assist exemplifying these principles. The Puritans fulfilling good deeds to receive recognition can be demonstrated by the tale of, “…a lusty young man called John Howland, coming upon some occasion above the gratings was…thrown into sea; but it pleased God…yet he lived many years after and became a profitable member both in church and in commonwealth” (Bradford 70). In this anecdote from Of Plymouth Plantation, Bradford portrays John Howland as willing to suffer for his people so that they might live. Howland, clearly comparable to a Christ figure, due to Christ suffering so that the whole world could live; and as a result of Howland’s bravery, he gets to live without worry. This particular anecdote involving Howland could be also viewed as an example of exemplification. Howland performed the good act to save his fellow people, and in return God blesses him in other aspects of his life. The Puritans based their livelihoods among some common ordinances: if they performed good deeds, they would rewarded; God would punish them later on if no good deeds existed. By the Puritans basing their livelihoods upon these principles, they indeed performed many acts of kindness, but in reality, they only did them just because they feared the …show more content…
Founding father Benjamin Franklin’s work, The Autobiography, conveys this new and palpable way of thinking. At one point in The Autobiography, Franklin utilizes an anecdote that sufficiently expresses the Humanist ideals of performing good deeds. Franklin comments, "He gave me, accordingly, three great puffy rolls...and being filled with one of my rolls, gave the other two to a woman and her child..." (Franklin 69). Clearly, Franklin values the Humanist way of thinking because he gave two of his rolls that he paid for to a mother and child. Even though Franklin arrived in Philadelphia with nothing, he sacrificed what little he had in order to help others. Through this example, many people at this point in history begin to perform good deeds because they truly want to make the world a better place and help their fellow man. Humanist philosophies on performing good deeds are still seemingly questionable in today’s society. According to Psychology Today, “at the very moment when your act takes place, your motivation is an impulsive unselfish desire to alleviate suffering.” This idea once again corresponds with the original Humanist philosophy of people performing good deeds because they want to assist people in whatever they
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