It is there that we find the truth that sets us free. Phi Beta Kappa was founded in 1776, the same year in which the American colonies declared their independence of England. From William and Mary it moved on, within a few years, to Harvard and Yale, and over the course of two centuries it became the prominent American academic honors society. There is, therefore, something patriotic about it, something that calls its members to service in our political community. The most important service you can now offer to your country, the most patriotic thing you can do, is to be witnesses to the truth.
Philosophy is the love of the wisdom, the search for truth.
The name of the fraternity therefore states that the search for truth is the guide for our lives. Nations go through different periods in their history and have to face different problems at different times. In our time, in your time, one of the greatest problems facing our country is confusion about the most important things in life. Our country provides us with a comfortable economic life, but in recent years especially it has not been able to give us the vocabulary and the habits to help us use these material goods well. Through your education and your own hard work, you have inherited a rich moral and intellectual tradition.