In what ways was Penn an advocate of middle class morality? According to Wikipedia, “William Penn was an English writer, religious thinker, and influential Quaker who founded the Province of Pennsylvania during the British colonial era.” Penn is best known for founding Pennsylvania. The name Pennsylvania was based on his father Admiral Sir William Penn, a British naval officer. Penn was one of the most important people to influence religious freedom in the states. He also wrote a book called “Fruits of Solitude”. This was a book of aphorisms. According to Wikipedia, “The term middle-class values is used by various writers and politicians to include such qualities as hard work, self-discipline, thrift, honesty, aspiration and ambition. Thus, people in lower or upper classes can also possess middle-class values, they are not exclusive to people who are actually middle-class.“

In what ways was Penn an advocate of middle class morality? Penn’s book “Fruits of Solitude” was just aphorisms. According to the dictionary aphorisms are “a pithy observation that contains a general truth.” They usually have themes like luxury, truth, servant, master, religion, passion, knowledge, discipline, ignorance, pride, and many others. Aphorisms should have a moral to them, but almost none of Penn’s aphorisms have morals. There are many aphorisms in this book that aren’t true aphorisms. In his book “Fruits of Solitude”, he makes it obvious that he is completely fine with the “middle path”. He wants those reading his book to take the “middle path”. If we have the choice between riches and rags, we should choose the middle path. That’s essentially what he’s saying. He wants people to have a healthy balance in life, the middle path.