Among All the Great Things Benjamin Franklin Invented or Discovered, His Alter Egos Gave Him the Most Freedom

Article excerpt

Benjamin Franklin's greatest invention may have been himself, or rather, his many selves. Under pen names like Silence Dogood, Richard Saunders, and Sidi Mehemet Ibrahim, Franklin published commentary that his real identity would have made impossible. These alter egos let him mock authority, experiment with different voices, and explore ideas without the constraints of his actual social position. The masks were Franklin's most liberating creation.