page_title: Virtue
section_title: Benjamin Franklin
hierarchical_section_title: Virtue / Philosophers' views / Benjamin Franklin
context_page_description: Virtue is moral excellence. A virtue is a trait or quality that is deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. Personal virtues are characteristics valued as promoting collective and individual greatness. In other words, it is a behavior that shows high moral standards. Doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong. The opposite of virtue is vice, another example of this notion is merit in Asian traditions and De.
  The four classic cardinal virtues in Christianity are temperance, prudence, courage, and justice. Christianity derives the three theological virtues of faith, hope and love from 1 Corinthians 13. Together these make up the seven virtues. Buddhism's four brahmavihara can be regarded as virtues in the European sense.
  The development of virture has a historical association as a alchemical process, wherein the internal virtues that we associate with the mind are integratively understood as the minerals that give us also the healthy biological structure of our bodies and externally the planet as a whole.
context_section_description: These are the virtues that Benjamin Franklin used to develop what he called 'moral perfection'. He had a checklist in a notebook to measure each day how he lived up to his virtues.
  They became known through Benjamin Franklin's autobiography.
  Temperance: Eat not to Dullness. Drink not to Elevation.
  Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling Conversation.
  Order: Let all your Things have their Places. Let each Part of your Business have its Time.
  Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.
  Frugality: Make no Expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e. Waste nothing.
  Industry: Lose no Time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary Actions.
  Sincerity: Use no hurtful Deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
  Justice: Wrong none, by doing Injuries or omitting the Benefits that are your Duty.
  Moderation: Avoid Extremes. Forbear resenting Injuries so much as you think they deserve.
  Cleanliness: Tolerate no Uncleanness in Body, Clothes or Habitation.
  Tranquility: Be not disturbed at Trifles, or at Accidents common or unavoidable.
  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.
  Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
caption: Virtue, spear in hand, with her foot on the prostrate form of Tyranny on the Great Seal of Virginia