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Judith Stove's avatar

Important post and points made. The nineteenth-century hijacking of the term 'temperance' to mean complete abstinence from alcohol was a pretty bold move. I seem to remember that the Quakers stuck more with the ancient understanding of 'moderation,' not 'complete avoidance' which became the standard meaning by the end of the century.

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Brittany Polat's avatar

I'm noticing more and more parallels between Quakers and Stoics. That could be an interesting line of inquiry to pursue!

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Michael Yonkers's avatar

Wonderful essay! Thanks so much, Brittany!

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