Virtues, Values, and Lessons From the Past

The shift from virtues to values launched a revolution in thought that was both deceptive and troublesome. Today, a person’s values do not have to be virtuous.

It was during the Victorian era that middle-class values became universal. Values like hard work, saving, and honesty were prevalent across classes. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Anyone old enough, or sufficiently familiar with the history of the English-speaking peoples, is likely to have formed an opinion about Margaret Thatcher, the United Kingdom’s first woman prime minister.

Thatcher’s 1979 electoral victory ushered in a decade of renewed energy and economic recovery that spread throughout the North Atlantic Triangle. Soon after the “Iron Lady” took up residence in 10 Downing Street, Ronald Reagan became president of the United States, and Canadians elected Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. The three leaders became loyal allies and good friends.