a.k.a. moral ambition
Complementary virtues¶
Contrasting vices¶
TBD
Virtues possibly in tension¶
How to acquire or strengthen it¶
TBD
Notes and links¶
TBD
Mentioned elsewhere¶
TBD
Inspirational quotes¶
- “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” ―Jesus
- “No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” —MLK, Jr.
- “What good is there in knowing what virtue is, if this knowledge doesn’t make us love it? What point is there in knowing vice, if this knowledge doesn’t make us shun it?” —Petrarch, Invectives 108.
- “Mencius said, ‘Benevolence is the heart of man, and rightness his road. Sad it is indeed when a man gives up the right road instead of following it and allows his heart to stray without enough sense to go after it. When his chickens and dogs stray, he has sense enough to go after them, but not when what strays is his heart. Does he think less of his heart than of his chickens and dogs? This is an extreme case of a lack of knowledge of priorities. How sad! In the end such a man is sure only to perish. The sole concern of learning is to go after this strayed heart. That is all.’” — VIa.11
- “Mencius said, ‘Now if one’s third finger is bent and cannot stretch straight, though this neither causes any pain nor impairs the use of the hand, one would think nothing of the distance between Ch’in and Ch’u if someone able to straighten it could be found. This is because one’s finger is inferior to other people’s. When one’s finger is inferior to other people’s, one has sense enough to resent it, but not when what is inferior is the heart. This is what is called ignorance of priorities.’” — VIa.12
- “Mencius said, ‘There are honours bestowed by Heaven, and there are honours bestowed by man. Benevolence, dutifulness, conscientiousness, truthfulness to one’s word, unflagging delight in what is good — these are honours bestowed by heaven. The position of a Ducal Minister, a Minister, or a Counsellor is an honour bestowed by man. Men of antiquity bent their efforts towards acquiring honours bestowed by Heaven, and honours bestowed by man followed as a matter of course. Men of today bend their efforts toward acquiring honours bestowed by Heaven in order to win honours bestowed by man, and once the latter is won, they discard the former. Such men are deluded in the extreme, and in the end are sure only to perish.’” — VIa.16
- “Kung-sun Ch‘ou said, ‘The way is indeed lofty and beautiful, but to attempt it is like trying to climb up to Heaven which seems beyond one’s reach. Why not substitute for it something which men have some hopes of attaining so as to encourage them constantly to make the effort?’ ¶ ‘A great craftsman,’ said Mencius, ‘does not put aside the plumb-line for the benefit of the clumsy carpenter.…’” — VIIa.41
