Addresses and Morals and Virtues, Oh My! ~ GregJ

George Washington

Toward the end of February the US Senate performs a Senate activity repeated every year since 1893. It is a 45-minute reading of George Washington’s Farewell Address.  This document is way longer than many personal constitutions.  Nevertheless, it quite conveys the ideals and advice of a respected leader practicing what he preached. What advice would you leave for people you love?

Please don’t take as representative of President Washington's values his widely-circulated “110 Rules of Civility” (more compactly here). As a teenager he simply copied these rules from a century-old textbook. Quite likely this was a school assignment, possibly a penmanship exercise. If you know teenage boys, you know they generally need such rules as number 4, “In the Presence of Others Sing not to yourself with a humming Noise, nor Drum with your Fingers or Feet.” Or number 107, “If others talk at Table be attentive but talk not with Meat in your Mouth.”

Though longish, read Washington’s Farewell Address. It is worthwhile, even as an annual reflection. You might skip his warnings about foreign entanglements, cautions about political parties, concerns about government debt, and so on—if you dare.

Thomas Jefferson

The third US President wrote several short notes to youngsters summarizing his principles and practices. Here is the earliest and longest, titled “A Dozen Canons of Conduct in Life”. He sent this to his granddaughter instead of the expected two-dollar bill with his picture on it.

Items with * were omitted in later versions sent to other young people. TJ took rule number 5 quite seriously.

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1. never put off to tomorrow what you can do to-day.
   
2. never trouble another with what you can do yourself
3. never spend your money before you have it
4. never buy a thing you do not want, because it is cheap, it will be dear to you.
5. take care of your cents: Dollars will take care of themselves! *
6. pride costs us more than hunger, thirst and cold.
7. we never repent of having eat too little.
8. nothing is troublesome that one does willingly. *
9. how much pain have cost us the evils which have never happen
10. take things always by their smooth handle.
11. think as you please, & so let others, & you will have no disputes. *
12. when angry, count 10. before you speak; if very angry, 100.

These slightly cryptic maxims trace to Greek philosophers. For example, the Stoic named Epictetus wrote, “Every event has two handles, one by which it can be carried, and one by which it cannot. If your brother does you wrong, don’t seize upon his wrong, because this is the handle incapable of lifting…”.
 
Besides quoting Stoics and Epicureans—in Greek, French, and English!—Jefferson famously distilled a collection of Jesus’ words. However, he omitting from his harmony of the gospels anything supernatural: Claims of deity, angels, miracles, and the resurrection? Gone. Jefferson explained his super-condensed Bibles—he made two—in an 1813 letter to John Adams:
 
“We must reduce our volume to the simple evangelists, select, even from them, the very words only of Jesus, …. There will be found remaining the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man. I have performed this operation for my own use, by cutting verse by verse out of the printed book, and arranging the matter which is evidently his, and which is as easily distinguishable as diamonds in a dunghill.”  
 
I repudiate Jefferson’s abuse of indigenous people and slaves, and reject his deism, “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.”  Still, I do admire that Jefferson’s personal constitution was just Jesus’ words: nothing more, nothing less. Whereas US Senators hear Washington’s words every February, US Presidents—really, everybody—would do well to give as much attention to Jesus’ words as did President Thomas Jefferson.

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin published a strikingly systematic yet humane set of resolutions. And that’s not all!  Regarding these resolutions, he set up a simple system for his own performance evaluation.

This thorough attention to virtues doesn’t compensate for Franklin’s promotion of daylight saving time. Or his wishy-washy deism. Still, compared to the other personal constitutions, individual agendas, resolutions, and maxims of his era, I see Franklin’s as clearer, more doable, and more adaptable to my use. Here's his list:

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1. Temperance. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
   
2. Silence. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
3. Order. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
4. Resolution. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
5. Frugality. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
6. Industry. Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
   
7. Sincerity. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. Justice. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. Moderation. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. Cleanliness. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
11. Tranquility. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. 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.
13. Humility. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Here is Franklin’s own enjoyable explanation of his motivations and the development process.
http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/autobiography/page38.htm

Franklin included humility, chastity, and perhaps some other virtues because people told him that he was not good at them! He was particularly keen to not just admire virtue, but to do virtue. His approach was intentional—not accidental—daily practice and streamlined daily self-evaluation. So as not to confuse himself, he resolved to focus on just one virtue per week. With 13 virtues on the list, that’s 13 weeks before starting over. 13 weeks times 4 is 52 weeks. See what he did there?

Here’s a clearer presentation of his calendar: 
     https://blogs.library.unt.edu/untdocsblog/2014/01/17/11/

This report and encouragement comes from a fellow who followed Franklin’s Plan for a decade.

Virtuous To-Do Lists

Question: Are there virtues that you would add to Franklin’s list?  Would you trim any?

My priorities would be kindness (or agape) and discernment replacing silence and moderation.

Really, what’s worse than a silent ax-murderer, if not a moderate silent ax-murderer?

Consider Hebrews 11, "Without faith it is impossible to please God."

Consider Matthew 6, "If you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive, ...."

Franklin’s list of virtues reminds me of several New Testament lists:

Galatians chapter 5    (ESV)
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Colossians chapter 3
“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Romans chapter 12
“We all have different gifts … prophecy … serving … teaching … encouraging others … giving to others … leading … showing mercy.

2 Peter chapter 1
“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,…

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.