Brethren, is there a clue as to when the Four Cardinal Virtues first appeared in Masonic ritual?


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Jay Hochberg
New Jersey, USA

Dear Brother,
The qualities required to be admited in the rite of Heredom of Kilwinning (+/- 1750) are the four Cardinal Virtues.


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Augustin1813
GLB. SCdB.
http://gen.declercq.free.fr

Knight Rose Croix wrote:

Brethren, is there a clue as to when the Four Cardinal Virtues first appeared in Masonic ritual?

Apparently Plato espoused four virtues: "The origin of the fourfold system is traceable to Greek philosophy; other sources are earlier, but the Socratic source is most definite. Among the reporters of Socrates, Xenophon is vague on the point; Plato in "The Republic" puts together in a system the four virtues adopted later, with modifications by St. Thomas. (In "The Laws", Bk. I, 631, Plato recurs to his division: "Wisdom is the chief and leader: next follows temperance; and from the union of these two with courage springs justice. These four virtues take precedence in the class of divine goods".)"

And since Plato was part of a mystery tradition (probably derived from egypt) we might well consider him a "son of light" (The Lord of Light was the son of The Widow Isis). The sons of light turned into several esoteric groups of which Masonry is one

cheers

Russell