The goal of moral values is to shine like constellations in our lives, lighting the path toward the perfection of our character. The word perfection traces back to the Latin perfectio, meaning to complete or finish. In a wider sense, it calls us to bring something to its fullest bloom, much like a life ripening into maturity. The Latin perfectus means to have acted or finished, mirroring the perfect tense in grammar, which marks something fully realized.
For ancient philosophers, perfection was the music of harmony, order, and proportion. Plato saw perfection as the flawless fit, where nothing was out of place.
In Christian philosophy, Jesus established perfection as a fundamental standard: “Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is.” While Matthew uses “perfect,” Luke uses “merciful,” reflecting early Christians’ belief that mercy best represents God’s character. St. Augustine, in De perfectione iustitiae hominis (PL 44 c. 233 n.), discusses the pursuit of perfection, defining a perfect person not as one who has achieved perfection, but as one who strives for it. Moral values guide this journey.
Here, we invite you, our esteemed reader, to explore perspectives on these values that have been shared by humanity for centuries, and to discover stories of remarkable individuals—especially from the Indo-Pacific—who have brought these ideals to life.
The quality of being discreet; discretion. Prudent; wise in avoiding errors or evil, and in selecting the best means to accomplish a purpose; circumspect; cautious; wary; not rash. Measured human person. It is the discreet man, not the witty, nor the learned, nor the brave, who guides the conversation, and gives measures to society. (An American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828)
Abdurrahman Wahid (“Gus Dur”) (7 Sep 1940 – 30 Dec 2009) was Indonesia’s president (1999–2001) and a major Islamic scholar. His achievements included helping steer Indonesia’s post–Suharto transition toward greater pluralism and democracy, including lifting restrictions on Chinese culture and pushing protections for minority rights. His role in advocating moderation and engaging political reality contributed to Indonesia’s broader social transformation.
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