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In Catholic catechism, the seven virtues refers to one of two lists of virtues, most commonly referring to the 4 Cardinal virtues of Prudence, Justice, Restraint or Temperance, and Courage or Fortitude, and the 3 Theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love or Charity; these were adopted by the Church Fathers from virtue as defined by the Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle.
An alternative list is the Seven heavenly virtues, opposed to the Seven deadly sins, and consisting of Chastity, Temperance, Charity, Diligence, Patience, Kindness, and Humility.
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Cardinal and theological virtues
The seven virtues of Christian theology consist of a combination of the four Cardinal virtues and the three Theological virtues.
| Type | Virtue | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinal | Prudence | proper judgment of reasons for action with regard to appropriateness in a context |
| Cardinal | Justice | proper judgment regarding individual human interests, rights and desserts |
| Cardinal | Restraint or Temperance | practicing self-control, abstention, and moderation |
| Cardinal | Courage or Fortitude | forbearance, endurance, and ability to confront fear and uncertainty, or intimidation |
| Theological | Faith | steadfastness in belief |
| Theological | Hope | desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit |
| Theological | Love or Charity | selfless, unconditional, and voluntary loving-kindness |
The cardinal virtues were derived initially from Plato's scheme (see Protagoras 330b, which also includes piety (hosiotes)) and adapted by Saint Ambrose, Augustine of Hippo, and Thomas Aquinas (see Summa Theologica II(I).61). The term "cardinal" comes from the Latin cardo or hinge; the cardinal virtues are so called because they are hinges upon which the door of the moral life swings.
The theological virtues are so named because the object of these virtues is the divine being (theos). Other virtues have vice at their extremes, and are only virtues when they are maintained between these extremes. In the case of the Theological Virtues, they do not contribute to vice at the positive extreme; that is, there is no vice in having an unlimited amount of faith, hope, or love, when God is the object of that virtue. They occur in the Bible at 1 Corinthians 13:13:
- "And now abideth faith, hope, and love, even these three: but the chiefest of these is love". (Geneva Bible, 1560).
Seven heavenly virtues
There is another list of the seven virtues to oppose the seven deadly sins. The "Seven heavenly virtues" were derived from the Psychomachia ("Contest of the Soul"), an epic poem written by Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (c. AD 410) entailing the battle of good virtues and evil vices. The intense popularity of this work in the Middle Ages helped to spread the concept of holy virtue throughout Europe. Practicing these virtues is considered to protect one against temptation from the seven deadly sins, with each one having its counterpart. Due to this they are sometimes referred to as the contrary virtues. Each of the seven heavenly virtues matches a corresponding deadly sin.
| Virtue | Latin | Gloss | (Vice) | (Latin) | Virtue's Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chastity | Castitas | Purity | Lust | Luxuria | Abstaining from sexual conduct according to one's state in life. Courage and boldness. Embracing of moral wholesomeness and achieving purity of thought through education and betterment. |
| Temperance | Temperantia | Self-Control | Gluttony | Gula | Constant mindfulness of others and one's surroundings; practicing self-control, abstention, and moderation. |
| Charity | Caritas | Will, Generosity | Greed | Avaritia | Generosity. Willingness to give. A nobility of thought or actions. |
| Diligence | Industria | Persistence, Effort | Acedia | Acedia
Tristitia |
A zealous and careful nature in one's actions and work. Decisive work ethic. Budgeting one's time; monitoring one's own activities to guard against laziness.(The Vice "Acedia" is more commonly known as "Sloth") |
| Patience | Patientia | Peace | Wrath | Ira | Forbearance and endurance through moderation. Resolving conflicts peacefully, as opposed to resorting to violence. The ability to forgive; to show mercy to sinners. |
| Kindness | Humanitas | Satisfaction | Envy | Invidia | Charity, compassion, friendship, and empathy without prejudice and for its own sake. |
| Humility | Humilitas | Bravery, Modesty | Pride | Superbia | Modest behavior, selflessness, and the giving of respect. Giving credit where credit is due; not unfairly glorifying one's own self. |
The Eighth Virtue
A catalogue of eight virtues includes the preceding seven heavenly virtues but also adds Justice as an eighth virtue:[citation needed]
| Virtue | Latin | Gloss | (Vice) | (Latin) | Virtue's Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justice | Iustitia | Fairness, Equity[disambiguation needed] | Corruption | Venaliter | Honesty, and the giving of righteousness. Being fair or telling the truth. Doing what is right and not what is wrong. It is the light of truth that conquers the dark of the wrong. Equity[disambiguation needed], impartiality. |
Theology
Restraint is the keystone of the seven holy virtues. The other holy virtues are created through selfless pursuits:
- Valour: Pursuit of Courage and Knowledge
- Generosity: Pursuit of Giving
- Liberality: Pursuit of Will
- Diligence: Pursuit of Ethics
- Patience: Pursuit of Peace
- Kindness: Pursuit of Charity
- Humility: Pursuit of Modesty
See also
External links
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