Character and virtue were once the major focus of moral and political philosophy. Aristotle, Aquinas, and our own Benjamin Franklin attended to the habits of character most needful for good citizenship and genuine happiness. But today the aristocratic virtues celebrated by Aristotle seem irrelevant, and even the middle-class virtues portrayed by Benjamin Franklin seem to belong to simpler times. We will ask such questions as, What virtues are most necessary to sustain modern liberal democracy, in both public and private life? What are the traits necessary for political leadership? What are the habits required for stable marriage and family life? Which of these virtues can one expect modern democracy to foster, and how can it do so? Speakers, drawn primarily from American public life, will be invited to address these questions, and in particular to speak about the one or two virtues they think most important. Some will speak mainly about political life, others mainly about family and private life. Our goal is a fresh look at our present moral predicament in search of a rich and viable account of moral and civic excellence appropriate for contemporary American life.