Quotes about Virtue

the Golden Triangle of Freedom is, when reduced to its most basic form, that freedom requires virtue; virtue requires faith; and faith requires freedom.

As nations become corrupt and vicious," he says, "they have more need of masters." The root of the word "vicious" is "vice"—the word simply means "full of vice." So Franklin, without feeling the need to explain himself much, is bluntly saying that "freedom requires virtue." And that less virtue inevitably begets less freedom.

The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure virtue.

Tocqueville put it as bluntly as Franklin or Adams had, writing: "Liberty cannot be established without morality.

They understood that freedom was not merely the freedom to be left alone; it was the freedom to do what was right.

Honor is like a match, you can only use it once.

How goodness heightens beauty!

He knew now that at the end there was only one thing that counted - to be a saint.

His lips felt dry with a literal thirst for righteousness, which was like a glass of ice-cold water on a table in another man's room.

It is astonishing the sense of innocence that goes with sin--only the hard and careful man and the saint are free of it.

There was not much one could do; he decided at least to be good.

The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.