What ideas about work and virtue appear in Leon Battista Alberti’s Della famiglia?

In his treatise Della famiglia, Leon Battista Alberti presents a moral philosophy that redefines virtue for a bourgeois urban society. Rather than viewing virtue as a state of serene detachment or mere right thinking, Alberti argues that it is fundamentally a matter of active engagement.1

Key ideas regarding work and virtue in the text include:

• Virtue as Action: Alberti posits that true virtue is found through striving, laboring, and producing. It is defined by what one does rather than how one thinks.1
• An Ethic of Achievement: The work promotes a modern outlook where morality is rooted in the necessity of work. This approach provided practical, reasonable counsel to the urban public on day-to-day concerns, including family life, friendship, education, and one's obligations to the common good.1
• Classical Foundation: While the work is fresh and reflects the lifestyle of the 15th century, it is grounded in the teachings of classical thinkers like Cicero and Seneca, adapting their ancient ethical ideals to the social realities of his time.1