VIRTUE by Fr. Thomas Petri, O.P.

Introduction
The world offers a vast array of things that evoke strong emotions in us: joy, love, delight, fear,
and anger. These emotions are a natural part of the human experience because we are
"malleable" beings, shaped by our experiences. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, this
malleability allows us to grow in both virtue and vice.

Virtue Defined
St. Thomas, following St. Augustine, defines virtue as a good
quality of the mind that enables us to live righteously. It's a quality
that cannot be misused and is instilled in us by God. Virtue resides
within the human soul, specifically in the mind and the will – our
thinking and choosing faculties.

Virtue and Passions

Even our passions, our emotions and desires, are part of being
human. They have a role to play in virtue. While knowing the right thing to do is important, virtue
allows us to actually do it. It's the difference between simply knowing and acting well.

Intellectual vs. Moral Virtues

St. Thomas distinguishes between intellectual and moral virtues. Moral virtue, he argues, is
more crucial in this life. Moral virtue allows us to act well and requires more than just knowledge.
It demands aligning our passions with reason. Simply knowing the right thing to do isn't enough
if we're too scared to do it, or if we do it with excessive anger.

Moral Virtue and Passions

Moral virtue doesn't suppress or destroy our passions; it moderates them. It allows us to act
according to reason for the true good. St. Thomas is not advocating for Stoicism, a philosophy
that emphasizes suppressing emotions. He believes feeling deeply is a positive aspect of being
human. In fact, he argues that the more virtuous a person is, the more they feel – and feel rightly.
A virtuous person doesn't fear being swept away by their feelings.

The Four Cardinal Virtues

St. Thomas identifies four principal moral virtues,

drawing on the work of Cicero: prudence, justice,
temperance, and fortitude (also known as courage).
Justice: The disposition to give others their due.
Fortitude (Courage): The resolve to achieve good things
that are difficult and to avoid unreasonable fear of evil.
Temperance: Moderates our pursuit of sense pleasures,
finding a balance between indulgence and insensitivity.

Prudence: The Charioteer of Virtues

Prudence is considered the most important moral virtue. It's the "charioteer" of virtue, directing
all the other virtues. Prudence helps us determine the courageous, temperate, and just thing to
do in a given situation.

Developing Prudence
According to St. Thomas, we develop prudence by:
Learning from elders and those with more experience.
Reflecting on our own experiences and choices.
Seeking guidance from those we trust to be prudent.
The Moral Life as a Community Effort
The moral life isn't a solitary pursuit. We develop virtue within a community – with those who
raise us, those we live with, our friends, and those we respect.
 The Doctrine of Moral Virtues According to St. Thomas Aquinas
by Fr. Aquinas Guilbeau, O.P.

This video explores St. Thomas Aquinas' ideas on moral virtues, building blocks for a flourishing
and happy life.

Ancient Roots of Virtue

Ancient thinkers identified habits that make people good by making their actions good.
These habits, or virtues, included strengths like courage, generosity, moderation, and
friendliness.
Over time, four principal moral virtues emerged: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance.

Christian Integration of Virtue

Christian writers incorporated the ancient appreciation of virtue into their descriptions of
Christian holiness.
St. Ambrose called these four virtues "cardinal" virtues for their centrality to good living.
He and others saw faith, hope, and charity as complementing, not replacing, the cardinal virtues.

St. Thomas Aquinas' Two Categories of Virtues

Aquinas divided virtues into two categories: intellectual and moral.
Intellectual virtues (wisdom, understanding, knowledge) strengthen
our thinking.
Moral virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance) strengthen
our practical actions.
The Summa Theologiae focuses more on moral virtues.

The Four Moral Virtues in Detail

Prudence (Queen of Virtues): Ensures reason guides our actions
through deliberation, judgment, and action.
A prudent person regularly achieves their goals by conforming actions
to reality.

Justice: Disposes us to give others their due, considering the common good.
Every action has social implications, impacting others.
A just person ensures others receive their due for the benefit of the whole society.

Fortitude: Moderates fear so we can pursue difficult or

dangerous good.
It keeps us from giving up too easily and can also motivate us
to confront challenges.
A brave person endures fear while pursuing reasonable goals.

Temperance: Moderates desire for pleasure so we can

pursue good without distraction.
It keeps us from seeking pleasure too readily and directs us
to enjoy it reasonably.
Temperance virtues include abstinence (food), sobriety (drink), and chastity (sex).
The Importance of Moral Virtues

Fortitude and temperance create a stable environment for pursuing higher acts of prudence and
justice.
By perfecting our actions and internal movements, these virtues make us not only good doers
but also good people.
Conclusion
St. Thomas Aquinas, building on the work of others, presents moral virtues as essential for
living a flourishing and virtuous life.
I. The Natural Moral Law

1954 Man participates in the wisdom and goodness of the Creator who gives him
mastery over his acts and the ability to govern himself with a view to the true and the
good.

The natural law expresses the original moral sense which enables man to discern by
reason the good and the evil, the truth and the lie:

The natural law is written and engraved in the soul of each and every man,
because it is human reason ordaining him to do good and forbidding him to sin . .
. But this command of human reason would not have the force of law if it were
not the voice and interpreter of a higher reason to which our spirit and our
freedom must be submitted.5

1955 The "divine and natural" law6 shows man the way to follow so as to practice the
good and attain his end. the natural law states the first and essential precepts which
govern the moral life. It hinges upon the desire for God and submission to him, who is
the source and judge of all that is good, as well as upon the sense that the other is
one's equal. Its principal precepts are expressed in the Decalogue. This law is called
"natural," not in reference to the nature of irrational beings, but because reason which
decrees it properly belongs to human nature:

Where then are these rules written, if not in the book of that light we call the
truth? In it is written every just law; from it the law passes into the heart of the
man who does justice, not that it migrates into it, but that it places its imprint on it,
like a seal on a ring that passes onto wax, without leaving the ring. 7

The natural law is nothing other than the light of understanding placed in us by
God; through it we know what we must do and what we must avoid. God has
given this light or law at the creation.8

1956 The natural law, present in the heart of each man and established by reason, is
universal in its precepts and its authority extends to all men. It expresses the dignity of
the person and determines the basis for his fundamental rights and duties:

For there is a true law: right reason. It is in conformity with nature, is diffused
among all men, and is immutable and eternal; its orders summon to duty; its
prohibitions turn away from offense .... To replace it with a contrary law is a
sacrilege; failure to apply even one of its provisions is forbidden; no one can
abrogate it entirely.9

1957 Application of the natural law varies greatly; it can demand reflection that takes
account of various conditions of life according to places, times, and circumstances.
Nevertheless, in the diversity of cultures, the natural law remains as a rule that binds
men among themselves and imposes on them, beyond the inevitable differences,
common principles.

1958 The natural law is immutable and permanent throughout the variations of
history;10 it subsists under the flux of ideas and customs and supports their progress.
the rules that express it remain substantially valid. Even when it is rejected in its very
principles, it cannot be destroyed or removed from the heart of man. It always rises
again in the life of individuals and societies:

Theft is surely punished by your law, O Lord, and by the law that is written in the
human heart, the law that iniquity itself does not efface. 11

1959 The natural law, the Creator's very good work, provides the solid foundation on
which man can build the structure of moral rules to guide his choices. It also provides
the indispensable moral foundation for building the human community. Finally, it
provides the necessary basis for the civil law with which it is connected, whether by a
reflection that draws conclusions from its principles, or by additions of a positive and
juridical nature.

1960 The precepts of natural law are not perceived by everyone clearly and
immediately. In the present situation sinful man needs grace and revelation so moral
and religious truths may be known "by everyone with facility, with firm certainty and with
no admixture of error."12 The natural law provides revealed law and grace with a
foundation prepared by God and in accordance with the work of the Spirit.

II. The Definition of Sin

1849 Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine
love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds
the nature of man and injures human solidarity. It has been defined as "an utterance, a
deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law." 121

1850 Sin is an offense against God: "Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done
that which is evil in your sight." 122 Sin sets itself against God's love for us and turns our
hearts away from it. Like the first sin, it is disobedience, a revolt against God through
the will to become "like gods,"123 knowing and determining good and evil. Sin is thus
"love of oneself even to contempt of God." 124 In this proud self-exaltation, sin is
diametrically opposed to the obedience of Jesus, which achieves our salvation.125

1851 It is precisely in the Passion, when the mercy of Christ is about to vanquish it, that
sin most clearly manifests its violence and its many forms: unbelief, murderous hatred,
shunning and mockery by the leaders and the people, Pilate's cowardice and the cruelty
of the soldiers, Judas' betrayal - so bitter to Jesus, Peter's denial and the disciples'
flight. However, at the very hour of darkness, the hour of the prince of this world, 126 The
sacrifice of Christ secretly becomes the source from which the forgiveness of our sins
will pour forth inexhaustibly.

I. The Human Virtues

1804 Human virtues are firm attitudes, stable dispositions, habitual perfections of
intellect and will that govern our actions, order our passions, and guide our conduct
according to reason and faith. They make possible ease, self-mastery, and joy in
leading a morally good life. the virtuous man is he who freely practices the good. The
moral virtues are acquired by human effort. They are the fruit and seed of morally good
acts; they dispose all the powers of the human being for communion with divine love.

The cardinal virtues

1805 Four virtues play a pivotal role and accordingly are called "cardinal"; all the others
are grouped around them. They are: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. "If
anyone loves righteousness, [Wisdom's] labors are virtues; for she teaches temperance
and prudence, justice, and courage." 64 These virtues are praised under other names in
many passages of Scripture.

1806 Prudence is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in
every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it; "the prudent man
looks where he is going."65 "Keep sane and sober for your prayers." 66 Prudence is "right
reason in action," writes St. Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle. 67 It is not to be
confused with timidity or fear, nor with duplicity or dissimulation. It is called auriga
virtutum (the charioteer of the virtues); it guides the other virtues by setting rule and
measure. It is prudence that immediately guides the judgment of conscience. the
prudent man determines and directs his conduct in accordance with this judgment. With
the help of this virtue we apply moral principles to particular cases without error and
overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid.

1807 Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their
due to God and neighbor. Justice toward God is called the "virtue of religion." Justice
toward men disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish in human
relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the
common good. the just man, often mentioned in the Sacred Scriptures, is distinguished
by habitual right thinking and the uprightness of his conduct toward his neighbor. "You
shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge
your neighbor."68 "Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also
have a Master in heaven."69

1808 Fortitude is the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in
the pursuit of the good. It strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and to overcome
obstacles in the moral life. the virtue of fortitude enables one to conquer fear, even fear
of death, and to face trials and persecutions. It disposes one even to renounce and
sacrifice his life in defense of a just cause. "The Lord is my strength and my song." 70 "In
the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." 71

1809 Temperance is the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and
provides balance in the use of created goods. It ensures the will's mastery over instincts
and keeps desires within the limits of what is honorable. the temperate person directs
the sensitive appetites toward what is good and maintains a healthy discretion: "Do not
follow your inclination and strength, walking according to the desires of your
heart."72 Temperance is often praised in the Old Testament: "Do not follow your base
desires, but restrain your appetites." 73 In the New Testament it is called "moderation" or
"sobriety." We ought "to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world." 74

To live well is nothing other than to love God with all one's heart, with all one's
soul and with all one's efforts; from this it comes about that love is kept whole and
uncorrupted (through temperance). No misfortune can disturb it (and this is
fortitude). It obeys only (God) (and this is justice), and is careful in discerning
things, so as not to be surprised by deceit or trickery (and this is prudence). 75

The virtues and grace

1810 Human virtues acquired by education, by deliberate acts and by a perseverance

ever-renewed in repeated efforts are purified and elevated by divine grace. With God's
help, they forge character and give facility in the practice of the good. the virtuous man
is happy to practice them.

1811 It is not easy for man, wounded by sin, to maintain moral balance. Christ's gift of
salvation offers us the grace necessary to persevere in the pursuit of the virtues.
Everyone should always ask for this grace of light and strength, frequent the
sacraments, cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and follow his calls to love what is good and
shun evil.
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