The City Walls of Temperance
Our fourth virtue is temperance, which is often described as self-control. Aristotle called temperance the character of a person whose appetites are in harmony with his reason. Now, if you study American history, you’ll read about the temperance movement, which was concerned only with alcoholic beverages—like beer, wine, and liquor—because of how the excessive drinking […]
Justice for thee…but not for me
Wed 5/15/2024 11:11 AM Plato said that “[j]ustice in the life and conduct of the State is possible only as first it resides in the hearts and souls of the citizens.” I might add that justice in the conduct of the school is only possible as it first resides in the hearts and souls of […]
Prudence Acts Rightly upon Genuine Knowledge
Our second virtue is Prudence. Adam Smith, in his Theory of Moral Sentiments, wrote: “The prudent man always studies seriously and earnestly to understand whatever he professes to understand, and not merely to persuade other people that he understands it; and though his talents may not always be very brilliant, they are always perfectly genuine.” Smith […]
Be strong and Courageous and do the Work
We’ve just seven and a half days of school remaining. While it may be tempting to coast to the finish line, as Mrs. Spaulding reminded us all last week, it is so very important to finish well. So, over the final mornings of this school year, we will revisit our school virtues. And as we […]
What’s in a day?
I had a hard time deciding what to talk about this morning. A lot has happened on May 10 throughout history, and there’s a lot to choose from. Christopher Columbus visited the Cayman Islands in 1503 and named them Las Tortugas, because there were a lot of turtles there. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette became the […]
About Mothers
Thu 5/9/2024 8:19 AM One hundred and ten years ago today, on May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. For those of you not paying attention, that means that this coming Sunday is Mother’s Day – don’t forget. James Joyce said, “Whatever else is unsure […]
Doing it well
Think of something you do well. Quietly -to yourself I’ll wait. Did you think of a talent or hobby that you spend time doing or practicing or performing? Did you think of a competition? The word well describes the quality of that something I just asked you to think about – well is an adverb […]
How do you know?
Tue 5/7/2024 9:31 AM On May 7, 1711, three hundred and thirteen years ago today, Scottish philosopher David Hume was born in Lawnmarket, Edinburgh, Scotland. Hume is best known for his idea that all human knowledge comes only from experience—that we can know only what our senses impress upon us, not what our minds can […]
When the Effort gets Painful
Mon 5/6/2024 8:07 AM On May 6, 1954, seventy years ago today, Roger Bannister became the first person ever to run a mile in under 4 minutes. The race took place at Iffley Road Track at Oxford University, where the 25-year-old Bannister was not just an athlete, but also a full-time medical student. Since Bannister’s […]
Feared or Loved?
Fri 5/3/2024 8:11 AM Five hundred and fifty-five years ago today, on May 3, 1469, Niccolo Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy. He came from a long line of attorneys and government officials, and at age 25, he carried on the tradition, taking a post in the office of the second chancery, which placed him […]
