Benjamin Franklin by Mark Twain

The Mark Twain essay deliberately uses fallacious logic for humorous effect. First, the writer claims that Benjamin Franklin "was twins, being simultaneously born in two different houses in the city of Boston." He then goes on to explain that two houses have a sign saying that Franklin was born there. Clearly that one person is a set of twins is not possible. The fallacious logic comes from accepting both signs as accurate when clearly a person can only be born in one place.

Secondly, Twain suggests that Franklin did certain things on purpose that were not under his control. For example, he writes that "it was in this spirit that he became the son of a soap-boiler, and probably for no other reason than that the efforts of all future boys ... might be looked upon with suspicion..." This is fallacious logic because people don't have a "reason" for being born to a particular parent. It's outside their control.

He also gives reasons to some of Franklin's other actions that are technically within his control, but the inferences about his reasons don't make sense. For example, he suggests that Franklin made up maxims "with a malevolence which is without parallel in history": that is, the his reasons for making maxims and aphorisms was to make it difficult for "boys to be boys". He also suggests that Franklin was actually lazy, and just pretended to be wise in order to goof off. 

The second half of the essay also has a failure of inference, because he gives the wrong kind of evidence. Twain says that Franklin was wrong, and that following an industrious life doesn't actually lead to genius, that it's only evidence of genius. That is, very smart and industrious people will follow Franklin's ways naturally. This is certainly true and an excellent insight. But then Twain goes on to give himself as an "example" of this, saying that his father made him work hard all the time and follow Franklin's example. When he ends up with "And here I am," he makes it seem as though...