The Complete Works in Philosophy, Politics and Morals of the Late Dr. Benjamin Franklin, Vol. 3 [Of 3]

Volume 3 of this landmark 1806 collection gathers Franklin's most incisive political and philosophical writings, including the famous Albany Papers: a daring 1754 proposal for colonial union that anticipated American federalism by two decades. Here is Franklin at his most prophetic, arguing with characteristic wit and pragmatism that the colonies must unite against external threats or perish separately. He dismantles the petty jealousies and local interests that prevented coordinated defense, making the case for a Grand Council with authority to act for the common good. Beyond the Albany Papers, this volume contains his essays on governance, his observations on human nature and morality, and his reflections on the intellectual foundations of a free society. What emerges is not merely historical curiosity but a timeless argument for collective action against existential challenges. Franklin wrote with the knowledge that disunity invited destruction; his words resonate whenever a nation forgets that strength comes from union.