Can exercise make your conscience stronger?
The moral sense, or conscience, is as much a part of man as his leg or arm. It is given to all human beings in a stronger or weaker degree, as force of members is given them in a greater or less degree. It may be strengthened by exercise, as may any particular limb of the body … Lose no occasion of exercising your dispositions to be grateful, to be generous, to be charitable, to be humane, to be true, just, firm, orderly, courageous, &c. Consider every act of this kind as an exercise which will strengthen your moral faculties, and increase your worth.
Thomas Jefferson to Peter Carr, 1787, 5514
Patrick Lee’s Explanation
Peter Carr was Jefferson’s nephew, the fourth of six children and the first son born to Jefferson’s sister, Martha, and his best friend, Dabney Carr, who died before the age of 30. Jefferson took Martha’s children under his wing, providing support and advice. Peter was 17 at the time of this letter.
Everyone has a conscience, or moral sense, Jefferson wrote. Conscience could be strengthened or weakened depending on how much exercise it got. Uncle Thomas encouraged his nephew to strengthen it much, by exercising kindness, generosity, gratitude, courage, etc., on every possible occasion.
Hear Thomas Jefferson speak to your audience on ethics.
Call Patrick Lee, 573-657-2739
