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What are Plato’s four cardinal virtues?
- 1. Wisdom Wisdom is the virtue of reason. It consists in knowing and mastering the non-rational elements viz. spirited element and passions. ...
- 2. Courage Courage is the virtue of the spirited element. ...
- 3. Temperance Temperance or self-control consists in keeping bodily satisfactions within limits. ...
- 4. Justice Justice is the virtue of the whole self or the complete person. ...
What are the seven cardinal virtues?
The other holy virtues are created through selfless pursuits:
- Valour: Pursuit of Knowledge
- Generosity: Pursuit of Charity
- Liberality: Pursuit of Will
- Diligence: Pursuit of Ethics
- Patience: Pursuit of Peace
- Kindness: Pursuit of Love
- Humility: Pursuit of Modesty
What are all the cardinal virtues?
What are the 4 Cardinal Virtues?
- Prudence. Prudence is defined as that virtue which enables a person to discern the appropriate course of action to be taken in a given situation at the appropriate time.
- Justice. Justice occupies a lot of significance as a virtue. ...
- Fortitude. Fortitude is defined as the virtue of forbearance, strength and endurance. ...
- Temperance. ...
What could you learn from Socrates, Plato and Aristotle?
- Material cause - the stuff of which a thing is made (for a building the steel and concrete)
- Formal cause - how the thing is arranged (the way the building is constructed, its participation in “building-ness”)
- Efficient cause - how that thing came to be (the builder of the building)
What are the four classical virtues?
What Are the 4 Cardinal Virtues?
- Prudence: The First Cardinal Virtue. Personification of Prudence - Gaetano Fusali. ...
- Justice: The Second Cardinal Virtue. Allegory of Justice detail of the mosaic floor at the Basilica of San Savino, Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, 12th century.
- Fortitude: The Third Cardinal Virtue. ...
- Temperance: The Fourth Cardinal Virtue. ...
What are the virtues of the Republic?
What is Plato's first part of the soul?
Why do we need to understand the soul before talking about virtue?
What is the book 2 of the Republic about?
Why does Plato say that the city comes into being?
What are the three parts of the soul?
Why is the city courageous?
See 4 more
About this website

What is the 4 virtues in the Republic?
For Socrates and Plato, there are four primary virtues: courage, moderation, wisdom and justice.
What are the 4 types of virtues?
The four virtues named here, prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance, are said to 'turn around the whole of a virtuous life'. In Plato's philosophy, virtue is nearly synonymous with knowledge rather than moral habit.
What are the 4 most important virtues?
The cardinal virtues are four virtues of mind and character in both classical philosophy and Christian theology. They are prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. They form a virtue theory of ethics.
What are the 4 virtues of the soul?
In Plato's Republic, the four cardinal virtues are wisdom, temperance, courage and justice. These reflect the nature of the soul. The soul has three parts. Our reason thinks; when it does this well, it has wisdom.
What is the meaning of the 4 cardinal virtues?
The Cardinal Virtues are prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude of heart. Along with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, these Cardinal Virtues enable us to express, prove, and grow in our love of God by implementing His plan and covenant in a practical way.
How many virtues are there?
Seven virtuesIn Christian tradition, the seven heavenly virtues combine the four cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude with the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity.
Is there a list of virtues?
There are 6 classes of virtues that are made up of 24 character strengths:Wisdom and Knowledge.Courage.Humanity.Justice.Temperance.Transcendence.
What are the four main ancient Greek virtues?
In books II and Iv of Plato's Republic, Socrates introduces and describes the four chief virtues needed for justice to thrive in a polis He presents them as Courage, Moderation, Justice and Wisdom.
What are the 4 cardinal virtues of Aquinas?
Practical wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance are the four cardinal, or “hinge,” virtues of the moral life.
What is Plato's virtue?
Description: In early Plato, Socrates advances two theses regarding virtue. He suggests that virtue is a kind of knowledge, similar to the expertise involved in a craft; and he suggests that the five virtues (wisdom, temperance, courage, justice and piety) form a unity.
What is virtue in the republic?
[Cardinal] Virtue is a state of the Soul, and is a fundamental constituent of what is good for a human being. “A person is temperate or moderate just in case the different parts of her soul are in agreement.” “a person is just in case all three parts of her soul are functioning as they should.
What is the virtue of spirit Plato?
In the discussion of Plato's theory of virtue, we found that he considered virtue to be an excellence of the soul. Insofar as the soul has several components, there will be many components of its excellence. The excellence of reason is wisdom, of the passions, attributes such as courage, and of the spirit, temperance.
What is the most important virtue?
Courage is the most important of the virtues, because without it, no other virtue can be practiced consistently, said Maya Angelou to members of this year's graduating class.
What are the 4 cardinal virtues of Aquinas?
Practical wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance are the four cardinal, or “hinge,” virtues of the moral life.
What are the seven holy virtues?
seven deadly sins …can be overcome with the seven corresponding virtues of (1) humility, (2) charity, (3) chastity, (4) gratitude, (5) temperance, (6) patience, and (7) diligence.
What are the 3 supernatural virtues?
There are three theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity. His divine power has bestowed on us everything that makes for life and devotion, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and power.
What are the 12 Catholic virtues?
What are the 12 Catholic virtues? Aristotle's 12 virtues:Courage – bravery.Temperance – moderation.Liberality – spending.Magnificence – charisma, s...
What are the 40 virtues?
WHAT ARE THE 40 VIRTUES?Orderliness: achieving our goals by doing the things we should do, when we should do them, and how we should do them. Gener...
What are the four cardinal virtues?
They are relative to Plato, or the Greek mind, or pre-Christian paganism.Asserting their importance and universality implicitly teaches that they a...
What are the ethics of Plato?
When thinking about Bernie’s approach to animal research ethics, three pivotal considerations come to mind: First, Bernie was a fierce defender of...
The 4 Virtues | Vermont Philosophy
In books II and Iv of Plato’s Republic, Socrates introduces and describes the four chief virtues needed for justice to thrive in a polis He presents them as Courage, Moderation, Justice and Wisdom.To be sure the ancient Greeks meant something different than later cultures, but the signal importance of these virtues to the moral life remain largely in tact.
Plato's Tripartite Soul Theory: Meaning, Arguments, and Criticism
Plato created the character of his teacher Socrates in Phaedrus to convey his own philosophical teachings which came to be known as Platonism.. In classical Greek philosophy psyche, meaning ‘breath’, was used as a synonym for the soul.Ancient Greek concepts about the soul diverged along with a particular epoch and philosophical school.
Virtue Ethics - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Virtue ethics is currently one of three major approaches in normative ethics. It may, initially, be identified as the one that emphasizes the virtues, or moral character, in contrast to the approach that emphasizes duties or rules (deontology) or that emphasizes the consequences of actions (consequentialism).
What are the four virtues of Catholicism?
The English word cardinal comes from the Latin word cardo, which means "hinge.". All other virtues hinge on these four: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance .
What are the two virtues of the Holy Spirit?
Prudence and justice are the virtues through which we decide what needs to be done; fortitude gives us the strength to do it. Fortitude is the only one of the cardinal virtues that is also a gift of the Holy Spirit, allowing us to rise above our natural fears in defense of the Christian faith.
Why is prudence considered the first cardinal virtue?
St. Thomas Aquinas ranked prudence as the first cardinal virtue because it is concerned with the intellect. Aristotle defined prudence as recta ratio agibilium, "right reason applied to practice.". It is the virtue that allows us to judge correctly what is right and what is wrong in any given situation.
What is the second cardinal virtue?
DEA Picture Library / Getty Images. Justice , according to Saint Thomas, is the second cardinal virtue, because it is concerned with the will.
What is the virtue of temperance?
Temperance is the virtue that attempts to keep us from excess, and, as such, requires the balancing of legitimate goods against our inordinate desire for them. Our legitimate use of such goods may be different at different times; temperance is the "golden mean" that helps us determine how far we can act on our desires.
Who was the first person to teach the cardinal virtues?
Plato first discussed the cardinal virtues in the Republic, and they entered into Christian teaching by way of Plato 's disciple Aristotle. Unlike the theological virtues, which are the gifts of God through grace, the four cardinal virtues can be practiced by anyone; thus, they represent the foundation of natural morality.
When we mistake evil for good, we are not exercising prudence?
When we mistake the evil for the good, we are not exercising prudence—in fact, we are showing our lack of it. Because it is so easy to fall into error, prudence requires us to seek the counsel of others, particularly those we know to be sound judges of morality.
What are the four virtues of Socrates?
In books II and Iv of Plato’s Republic, Socrates introduces and describes the four chief virtues needed for justice to thrive in a polis He presents them as Courage, Moderation, Justice and Wisdom .
When was justice a central concern in moral philosophy?
Apart from the occasion reference, justice was not really a central concern for moral philosophy until the 20th century. Like Diotima’s counsel to Socrates, this inquiry, as all inquiry does, leads us back to wisdom….
What is the first obstacle a student of moral theory encounters?
The first obstacle any student of moral theory encounters is the degree to which contemporary society is so thoroughly suffused with moral relativism. Living as we do in a pluralistic capitalistic society, we are loath to limit or regulate our lives including our moral sensibilities.
What are the four virtues that Plato used?
Lastly, I will discuss the experience that I ad that related to Leonitus. The four virtues used by Plato are prudence, courage, temperance, and justice. Plato relates the virtues to a community, which is made up of the rulers, army, and workers. Now the base line is the workers, and they do not try to blend with the army as the army doesn’t blend with the rulers. When all of these do their own job, the community becomes one. The first virtue to be discussed is prudence.
How are virtues related?
One must have all four virtues to be completely moral. Each virtue is directly related to each other in an indirect way. “The rational part will do the planning, and the passionate part the fighting. The passionate part will obey the ruling part and mploy its courage to carry out the plans. ” (442b) The three “H’s” which underlie each virtue are Head, Habitual, and Happiness. In the Head the person must contain the rational ability to know what he/she is doing.
What does Plato say about courage?
Plato relates retention to courage, “I’m saying courage is a sort of retentionthe retention of notion. ” (429c) The ability for one to retain what one has learned s courage. “Ability to retain under all circumstances a true and lawful notion about what is feared and what is not to be feared is what I’m calling courage. ” (430b) The next virtue temperance, is found in the workers of Plato’s community. Temperance, also known as self-discipline, is needed by the workers, so that they do not desire to be in the ruler’s position.
What is wisdom in Plato's book?
Prudence, also known as wisdom, is found in the rulers. The people who have it are those rulers” (428d) In order to have wisdom one must be resourceful , in which he/she has btained knowledge. Plato says, ” resourcefulness is obviously a kind of knowledge it’s not ignorance which makes people resourceful; it’s knowledge. ” (428b) The second virtue is courage, which is found in the military section of the community. Courage is not the virtue of standing in front of a tank and say it will not hurt me, that is stupidity. Courage is the ability to apply what you have been taught: what is to be feared and what is not to be feared.
What are the four Cardinal Virtues?
If the city is correctly founded, then it will be perfectly good, and therefore it will be wise, courageous, moderate and just (427e). These four categories will later come to comprise the four Cardinal Virtues, according Thomistic theology. The terms cardinal comes from the Latin word cardo, meaning “hinge.” A good life “hinges” upon these four virtues. At any rate, Glaucon and Socrates look to find Wisdom, Courage, and Moderation . In the city, wisdom is found in the ruling part, the guardians. Courage is found to be a kind of preservation and power of the noble education and to have a lawful opinion about what is terrible and what is not, like those who dye wool with a foundational color so that none of the other colors can wash it away -it is steadfast in its right and lawful opinion. Socrates calls this eidos “political courage (429c). Moderation is a kind of harmony and mastery over oneself, taming one’s impulses, it implies: that which is better by nature is master over that which is worse.
Who translated Plato's Republic?
For this reading I used Allan Bloom’s essential translation of Plato’s Republic, as well as Leo Strauss’s The City and Man and his lectures.
What are the three parts of the soul?
The three parts of the soul, or castes in the city, do not meddle with one another, and instead each part minds his own internal business, and he sets his house in good internal order and becomes entirely “one from many”, moderate, and harmonized. Thus, Socrates and Glaucon have found the just man and the just city.
Why did Socrates defend the total communism assigned to the guardians?
Nevertheless Socrates defends the total communism assigned to the guardians on the grounds that the group in the Piraeus had initially begun this inquiry by looking to the happiness of the whole city, not merely the happiness of one particular group within the city. This was in order to find justice in the best governed city, and injustice in the worst governed city. However, now Socrates announces a new beginning. Now, they examine each group in the city according to their happiness so the city will be better apportioned toward justice, for the guardians will not successfully complete their job unless they are found to be happy, or at least according to their share of nature’s happiness as described by ever-the-pedestrian Adeimantus. It is notable that each person’s education and rearing will allow the regime, once well-founded, to “roll on like a circle in its growth” (424a) -this is the purpose of their education: to create an enduring regime, i.e. one that will last through the natural changes.
How does Socrates respond to his friends' goal in building this city?
Socrates responds by reminding his friends that their goal in building this city is not to make any one group happy at the expense of any other group, but to make the city as a whole as happy as it can be. We cannot provide the guardians with the sort of happiness that would make them something other than guardians.
Why is courage considered a virtue?
Courage lies with the auxiliaries. It is only their courage that counts as a virtue of the city because they are the ones who must fight for the city. A courageous farmer, or even ruler, would do the city no good. Moderation and justice, in contrast to wisdom and courage, are spread out over the whole city.
What does Socrates tell Adeimantus?
Socrates proceeds to address several topics regarding the lifestyle of the guardians. He tells the money-loving Adeimantus that there will be no wealth or poverty at all in the city since there will be no money. Adeimantus objects that a city without money cannot defend itself against invaders, but Socrates reminds Adeimantus ...
Why does Adeimantus interrupt Socrates?
Adeimantus interrupts Socrates to point out that being a ruler sounds unpleasant. Since the ruler has no private wealth, he can never take a trip, keep a mistress, or do the things that people think make them happy.
What is Socrates' definition of justice?
Cephalus ventured that justice was the honoring of legal obligations, while his son Polemarchus suggested that justice amounts to helping one’s friends and harming one’s enemies. These two definitions are linked by the imperative of rendering what is due, or giving to each what is appropriate. This same imperative finds variant expression in Plato’s definition of justice—justice as a political arrangement in which each person plays the appropriate role. What is due to each person is rendered all at once. Each is assigned the role in society that best suits their nature and that best serves society as a whole.
Do we paint the eyes of the statues purple?
Since no human being actually has purple eyes this would detract from the beauty of the statue as a whole, so we do not paint the eyes purple. On the statue, as in the city, we must deal with each part appropriately, in order to make the situation best for the whole.
What are the virtues of the Republic?
According to Plato, the four virtues are wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice. There are three classes within the city: guardians, auxiliaries, and artisans; and three parts within the soul include intellect, high-spirited, and appetitive. By understanding the different classes of the city or parts of the soul, one will be able to appreciate how the virtues attribute to each one specifically.
What is Plato's first part of the soul?
The first part of the soul that calculates is considered rational by having the ability to make good judgment, known as its intellect.
Why do we need to understand the soul before talking about virtue?
One needs to understand what the soul is before one can talk about virtue because the relationship between the soul and virtue is excellence. This sets up the foundation that the structure of the soul and the city are similar in relation to the four virtues. In order for Socrates to accomplish this, he needs to examine the larger one first, ...
What is the book 2 of the Republic about?
Book II of the Republic opens with Plato’s two brothers, both who want to know which is the better life to live: the just or the unjust. First, Socrates wants to know, “what justice and injustice are and what power each itself has when it’s by itself in the soul” (Cahn 130). One needs to understand what the soul is before one can talk about virtue because the relationship between the soul and virtue is excellence. This sets up the foundation that the structure of the soul and the city are similar in relation to the four virtues.
Why does Plato say that the city comes into being?
Plato sets out the depiction that the city comes into being because not everyone is self-sufficient, but rather everyone needs different things in order to survive. Haven’t found the relevant content? Hire a subject expert to help you with Plato’s 4 Virtues. Hire writer.
What are the three parts of the soul?
There are three classes within the city: guardians, auxiliaries, and artisans; and three parts within the soul include intellect, high-spirited, and appetitive. By understanding the different classes of the city or parts of the soul, one will be able to appreciate how the virtues attribute to each one specifically.
Why is the city courageous?
For the auxiliary class, “the city is courageous, then, because of a part of itself that has the power to preserve through everything its belief about what things are to be feared” (Cahn 144). The auxiliaries demonstrate this kind of preservation about what is to be feared and what is not to be feared and under no circumstances do they abandon their beliefs because of pains, pleasures, desires, or fears. As they fear the destruction of the city and anything that will bring it about, “this power to preserve through everything the correct and law-inculcated belief about what is to be feared and what isn’t is what I call courage” (Cahn 145).
