Quotes about Virtue

There are some causes sosacred as to carry with them an irresistible appeal to every virtuous bosom; and he needs but little power of eloquence, who defends the honour of his wife, his mother, or his country. I

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8, NLT

Rather we must seek out9 the good things peculiar to the good, and give the widest berth to the evils peculiar to evil men.

Public virtue is the vital spirit of republics, and history proves that when this has decayed and the love of money has usurped its place, although the forms of free government may remain for a season, the substance has departed forever.

Asceticism was not necessary for holiness.

Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living, and truth loving.

Seek to do good, and you will find that happiness will run after you.

To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people, is a chimerical idea.

If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.

Few are guided by principle any longer, only by what they prefer. "You have to decide what's right for you," we are told. In such a climate, the only remaining virtue is tolerance, and the only philosophies that are wrong are those that believe in truth.

Damn it, she writes detective stories and in detective stories virtue is always triumphant. They're the purest literature we have.

Detachment is a rare virtue, and very few people find it lovable, either in themselves or in others. If you ever find a person who likes you in spite of it-still more, because of it-that liking has very great value, because it is perfectly sincere, and because, with that person, you will never need to be anything but sincere yourself.