What are the moral principles upheld by Freemasons?

Masonic ethical teaching rests upon the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man 1.

In classic Masonic instruction, these ethics are organized around the three core tenets of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth, combined with the four cardinal virtues of Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice 2. Brotherly Love teaches Masons to view all humanity as one family tasked with mutual aid and protection 2. Relief mandates the alleviation of misfortune and distress 2, which Carl H. Claudy notes extends beyond monetary alms to encompass spiritual sympathy, wise counsel, and the giving of oneself 5. Truth requires absolute sincerity and plain dealing 2. Among the cardinal virtues, Temperance checks unruly desires, Fortitude provides strength against temptation, Prudence guides conduct through reason, and Justice secures the boundaries of equity essential to human society 2.

Joseph Fort Newton traces these moral duties to the ancient manuscript Constitutions recited to new initiates, summarizing their essential ethical demand as doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly 3. While these social virtues form the visible moral code of the lodge, Walter Leslie Wilmshurst contends that such principles are common to all moral institutions, serving within Freemasonry as the preliminary foundation for a deeper system of spiritual education 4.