The Tenets of Freemasonry and the
Four Cardinal Virtues:
An In-Depth Study
Date:
February 3, 2007
Instructor: Charles
W. Plummer, Ph. D.
Type of Course: Lecture / Seminar
Course Time: 9am-3pm with break for lunch
Location: University of New England, Biddeford Campus
-- Decary Hall. Directions HERE. (There's also a downloadable Map on that page!)
Registration Fee : $35 includes buffet lunch
Requirements
This course is open to all. It is not necessary to be a Mason to attend.
Course Description
In the Entered Apprentice Degree we were given what may be termed an introduction to the tenets of Freemasonry (Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth) and the Four Cardinal Virtues (Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice). But there is much more to be learned about them and the importance of leading a moral life as it relates to our interactions with humankind. This course has been designed for members of the Craft who have an inquiring mind and would like to examine them in greater depth and the implications that they have for modern-day society.
Drawing on the works of four eminent scholars and teachers, C. S. Lewis, Joseph Pieper, Andre Compte-Sponville, and the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, all of whom have written extensively on ethics and morality, the major learning outcome for this course is to extend our own understanding of the moral teachings on which Freemasonry is founded and how we can better apply them to our own lives and interactions with others.
Topics that will be covered based on an inquiry/discussion approach to learning will include:
- Understanding the meaning of the words "tenet" and "cardinal" mean as they relate to the four cardinal virtues.
- A review of the Entered Apprentice Degree, its meaning, and what it teaches us about moraWednesday, 14 February, 2007 6:28 PM nature, morality, and the Cardinal Virtues as expressed in his book titled "Mere Christianity".
- Joseph Pieper's views on Prudence, justice, Fortitude and Temperance as expressed in his book titled, "The Four Cardinal Virtues".
- The views of André Compte-Sponville on how virtue can be taught, the distance that separates individuals from what they should do, what they should be, and how they should live, and how to gauge the distance that separates us from these ideals based on his book titled, "A Small Treatise on the Great Virtues".
- Aristotle's views on the nature of good for man, moral virtue, intellectual virtue, the Cardinal Virtues, forms of the two conditions which lie between virtue and vice, friendship, well-being, and pleasure as presented in his book titled, "Nicomachean Ethics".
Because the instructor recognizes that there is a direct correlation between learning and the extent to which an individual is engaged in the teaching/learning process, he has planned a variety of activities that will allow for student involvement. He will use audio-visual materials to enhance learning as well.
Course Instructor
Masonically, Bro. Charles W. Plummer is a Past Master, Past District Educational Representative, Past District Deputy Grand Master, Past Senior Grand Warden, and Past Chairman of the Committee on Masonic Education and Lodge Service (MEALS). He is currently a member of the Board of Regents for the Maine Masonic College and Chairman of the Committee on the Condition of the Fraternity.
He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education, an M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision and a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies. He is an instructor for the University of Southern Maine and has taught courses on Classical Mythology, The Life and Writings of C. S. Lewis, The Biology of the Brain, Biological Anthropology, The Roots of Human Behavior, The Civil War, The Life and Writings of Abraham Lincoln, Personality and Learning Styles, and Archetypes and Dream Analysis based on the work of Carl Gustav Jung. He has designed this course for those members of the fraternity who would like to gain a better understanding of the power and meaning of symbols, myths and archetypes, their relationships with Freemasonry, and the purpose and meaning of the rites of initiation especially those of the Entered Apprentice Degree, the Fellowcraft Degree, and the Master Mason Degree.
Important Note
The Maine Masonic College complies with the Americans With Disabilities Act. If any conference participant is in need of reasonable accommodation, please forward a written request to the College Secretary for consideration at least one month prior to the activity.
The opinions expressed by instructors and Regents of the Maine Masonic College do not represent an 'official' position of Freemasonry or of the Grand Lodge of Masons in Maine. No one person speaks for Freemasonry. Only the Grand Master can speak for Freemasonry within his own jurisdiction and then, only during his term of office.
This page last updated on Monday, 5 February, 2007 2:48 PM
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