The Fourth Cardinal Virtue: Temperance

Temperance, the fourth and final Cardinal Virtue, deals with the inner-life of man--the battle that occurs in the human mind, will, and heart.  All of us are subject to certain passions: anger, greed, gluttony, depression, lust, etc.   When we are drunk with these passions, they subdue, enslave, and conquer us.  The person with temperance is the one who has gained by God's grace enough self-mastery to overcome these passions. 

Examples from scripture refer to temperance primarily as self-control and sober-mindedness: 

·         Like a city breached, without walls, is one who lacks self-control.[i]

·         Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable garland, but we an imperishable one.[ii]

·         For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control.[iii]

·         For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.[iv]

·         Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.[v]

If we lack sober-mindedness and self-control, we will experience the world through our passions, with dangerous consequences for ourselves and for our relationships with God and our neighbor.  We will also be subject to the entertainment and advertising industries, both of which make a careful study of manipulating human desires.  Having temperance means that our desires have been purified and we can enjoy God's good creation as we were truly designed to do.

 

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[i] Proverbs 25:28

[ii] I Corinthians 9:25

[iii] 2 Timothy 1:7

[iv] Titus 2:11-12

[v] I Peter 5:8-9

The Third Cardinal Virtue: Fortitude

When it proves difficult or even dangerous to do the good and act with justice, we call upon the cardinal virtue of fortitude.  Fortitude concerns the cluster of virtues having to do with the will: courage, patience, steadfastness, perseverance.  It is not simply the lack of fear, but a carefully considered action for good in the face of difficulty.  The Greek statesman Pericles explained it thus: "For this is our manner: to take the greatest risks where we have thought matters through most carefully.  Among others, however, only ignorance produces bravery, while reflection causes trembling."^[i] 

 

The Scriptures are replete with calls to and examples of fortitude.  King David advises Solomon to "be strong and of good courage, and act. Do not be afraid or dismayed; for the LORD God, my God, is with you."^[ii]  Jesus advises his disciples in the face of persecution that" anyone who endures to the end will be saved."^[iii] James advises us to "be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient... Indeed we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful."^[iv] 

 

The ultimate Christian model of fortitude is the martyr, the one who gives his life for God and imitates Christ himself.  As we contemplate this third cardinal virtue, let us consider that in the world we will have tribulation; but we can be of good cheer, for Christ has overcome the world.^[v]

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[i] A Brief Reader on the Virtues of the Human Heart by Josef Pieper

[ii] I Chronicles 28:20

[iii] Matthew 24:13

[iv] James 5:7-12

[v] John 16:33

The Second Cardinal Virtue: Justice

Where prudence, the first cardinal virtue, is knowing the good, the second cardinal virtue, justice, is the art of doing the good.  Justice is the virtue that concerns how we live with our fellow man.  It has been classically defined as giving to each person his due.  Justice concerns the cluster of virtues concerned with relationships including piety, gratitude, friendship, gentleness, hospitality, liberality, and equity.  All of us tend to favor ourselves at the expense of others, but the just man or woman gives to each their due and treats them as he would be treated.    As one's power and influence grow, so does the opportunity for the abuse and misuse of one's position.  Therefore, the virtue of justice is crucial to those in increasing positions of authority.  Not only because they set an example for the rest of us, but also because, without justice, power can be self-serving, arbitrary and oppressive.  Further, if those who are responsible to uphold justice in society do not, terrible injustice can result.[i]   In the Christian conception of virtue, justice must be tempered with mercy.  It may also call on us to harm ourselves in order to help others.  "The just man, the more he realizes that he is the recipient of gifts and that he has an obligation to God and to man, will alone be ready to fulfill what he does not owe.  He will decide to give something to the other that no one can force him to give."[ii]   Christ then is the ultimate form of the just man, who came to serve and die for man, and will come again to judge the world with equity.    What then does God require of us:  "He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"[iii] [i] A Brief Reader on the Virtues of the Human Heart by Josef Pieper [ii] Ibid. [iii] Micah 6:8

The First Cardinal Virtue: Prudence

Prudence is the first of the four cardinal virtues.  To have prudence is to know the Good and to live according to the Truth^[i].  Prudence is another name for wisdom.  It includes making wise judgments and decisions and is not to be confused with intelligence, for even the simple can be wise^[ii].  It is the first of the cardinal virtues because without knowing the Good we cannot act with virtue.  "All just and courageous action, all good action at all, is just and courageous and good, because it corresponds to the divinely created truth in real things."^[iii]  Therefore, it is always prudent to be just and true.

 

The Old Testament scriptures have much to say about prudence, from the wisdom literature and the Law of Moses given to make us wise, to the lives of the patriarchs, kings, and prophets given for our instruction.  In the New Testament we have the revelation of the Wisdom of God Himself who was made flesh and walked among us, Christ the Lord.  Christ and the apostles were also teachers of wisdom through their lives, sermons, letters, and parables.  From them we learn that the truly wise are those who imitate God Himself.  Even the creation is a great feast of wisdom for those with eyes to see:  Consider the ant^[iv], the deer^[v], the lilies of the field^[vi], and the mustard seed^[vii] and be wise.  As a great Christian teacher of the fourth century said, "Recognize everywhere the wisdom of God; never cease to wonder."^[viii]

 

Ultimately, all wisdom is from God and is a gift of His goodness.  "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith..."^[ix]      

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[i] John 3:21

[ii] Psalm 19:7

[iii] The Christian Idea of Man by Josef Pieper

[iv] Proverb 6:6

[v] Psalm 42

[vi] Matthew 6:28

[vii] Luke 13:19

[viii] The Hexaemeron by Basil the Great

[ix] James 1:5-6

The Cardinal and Theological Virtues

The best of the ancient Greeks and Romans held that the ideal man would possess certain virtues or perfections.  In order for one to be considered good, one had to embody the ideals of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance.  These four were known as the cardinal virtues.  The word "cardinal" means hinge, and these virtues were the hinge or doorway to all of the other virtues. 

 

With the coming of Christ, the early Christians took up the use of this language of virtue, but shaped it in accordance with the Truth that had been revealed in Christ.  Taking the language of the Apostle Paul, these Christians crowned the cardinal virtues with three more virtues; those of faith, hope, and love.  These three additional virtues became known as the theological virtues. 

 

Throughout ancient and medieval times, the seven virtues, along with humility, formed the ideal of the Christian man. In fact, many of the great Christian educators of the past believed that the true goal of education was the attainment of wisdom and virtue.  Over the course of the next few weeks we'll explore each of these virtues in turn so that we might be drawn to imitate the only truly good and virtuous man - The Lord Jesus Christ.

The first in a series of articles done for Coram Deo Academy.

The Battle of the Books

Which writers have the greater share of wisdom - the moderns or the ancients? In the late 17th century a literary tempest raged in France and England over the question. Near the end of the controversy, Jonathon Swift wrote a short satire of the affair titled A Full and True Account of the Battle Fought Last Friday, Between the Ancient and the Modern Books in St. James's Library. A fun romp for lovers of ancient literature. Read it here.