Benjamin Franklin’s Pursuit of the Virtuous Life
Posted by Pastor Kurt | Filed under My Faith
When most people today hear the word “virtue,” they usually don’t
think “manliness.” Having virtue or being virtuous is looked at as
being sissy or effeminate. In fact, we sometimes use the word in
today’s vernacular to describe a woman’s sexual conduct.
However, virtue is far from being sissy or effeminate. The word
“virtue” is actually rooted in “manliness.” “Virtue” comes from the
Latin virtus, which in turn is derived from vir,
Latin for “manliness.” Cicero, a famous Roman statesman and writer,
enumerated the cardinal virtues that every man should try to live up
to. They included justice, prudence, courage, and temperance. In order
to have honor, a Roman man had to live each of the four virtues. When
Aristotle encouraged men in the ancient world to live “the virtuous
life,” it was really a call to man up.
Article From The Art of Manliness
