I recently wrote how Ben Franklin had a strong aversion to church services, despite the fact that he believed in God. This posed a practical problem to him.

Franklin took morality seriously and he found himself wondering how he could possibly complete his “bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection” minus the structure of religion.

I soon found I had undertaken a task of more difficulty than I had imagined. While my care was employed in guarding against one fault, I was often surprised by another; habit took the advantage of inattention; inclination was sometimes too strong for reason. I concluded, at length, that the mere speculative conviction that it was our interest to be completely virtuous was not sufficient to prevent our slipping, and that the contrary habits must be broken, and good ones acquired and established, before we can have any dependence on a steady, uniform rectitude of conduct. 

The American came up with a very Franklin-like solution. He created his own code of morality.

Here are the 13 virtues and accompanying precepts that made up the Benjamin Franklin Code of Morality:

1.            Temperance: Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

2.            Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.

3.            Order: Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.

4.            Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

5.            Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

6.            Industry: Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

7.            Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

8.            Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

9.            Moderation: Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

10.          Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.

11.          Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

12.          Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.

13.          Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.