The four main virtues that McGinn focuses upon in chapter are prudence, courage, temperance and justice. Prudence, or in other words wisdom, is the practical reason to discern the true good in every circumstance and also the determination on how to achieve it. It is the measure of justice temperament and fortitude .On the other hand, courage, which also may be referred to as fortitude, is the moral virtue that ensures firmness in the face of difficulty and the constant pursuit of good. It enables one to conquer fear. Justice is the constant and firm will to give God and one’s neighbor what is due to them. It also entails respect of the rights of other people and promotion of equity among all people. Temperance is the virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in use of created goods. It ensures ones mastery of instincts and desires within the limits of what is honorable.
Cardinal virtues are more important as compared to all other virtues because all human situations are designed around them. They determine what is good or wrong. They also foster good relationships between people when observed. They foster human coexistence, also serving to form the basis of good leadership, which is the most important pillar acting around which strong communities are built. As they form the basis of what is morally good, the failure to adhere to any of one of them, means that one will have committed a great sin.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Character is the combination of mental and moral traits and qualities that make someone different from other people. It gives someone their identity. A virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do good. A virtuous person tends towards the good at all times. In order to be of good character, one must always know what is morally acceptable and act in morally virtuous ways that reflect goodness, which comes through development of virtues. The more a person practices a given virtues, the more it becomes part of his/her collective character. Character and actionable virtues thus have a correlation.
