What are the core principles of Freemasonry?

Brotherly love, relief, and truth form foundational tenets, with truth defined as a divine attribute and the foundation of all Masonic virtue 1. Relief impels Masons to soothe the unhappy, sympathize with misfortunes, and restore peace to troubled minds 1. Joined to these are the four cardinal virtues: temperance, fortitude, prudence, and justice 1. Temperance restrains the passions, fortitude provides strength of mind during affliction, and prudence guides the choice of ends and means 1.

In the Craft, the institution is symbolically supported by three grand pillars representing wisdom, strength, and beauty 23. Wisdom contrives, strength supports, and beauty adorns 3. Claudy distinguishes knowledge as the cognizance of facts from wisdom, which is the moral strength of mind to apply knowledge through reflection and experience rather than mere memory of ritual 2. In the English lectures revised by Hemming, wisdom directs undertakings, strength supports through difficulties, and beauty adorns the inward man 3. Schröder's German ritual formulation expands this, holding that wisdom provides a foundation of truth, strength builds conviction through justice and perseverance, and beauty adorns the spiritual edifice with brotherly love, benevolence, and philanthropy 3.

Masonic charity extends beyond physical alms to include spiritual comfort, sympathy, and personal counsel 4. While individual monetary assistance remains a matter of private conscience, true charity consists of personal giving and emotional support 4. The checkered mosaic pavement symbolizes the dualism of good and evil while teaching that a Mason's conduct and progress must remain ordered and circumscribed within moral bounds 3.