The Virtues

Philosophy Forums Philosophy
1

I read on the site virtuescience.com a really interesting explanation about the virtues.
Every virtue has an opposite virtue.
Every vice is an imbalance of a virtue. A perverted form of a virtue. Each vice, like the virtues, has an opposite vice.
So there is a basically 4 qualities, 2 virtues and 2 vices, which are all related to one another.

EG
Strength - Gentleness
Roughness - Weakness

To gain a sense of wholeness, its important not to over-emphasize any virtue, since to do such is to transform it into a vice. Each needs to be balanced by its opposite (or compliment rather). We can also transform our vices into virtues, by understanding what it would be like in its virtuous form.

Its a good idea to list all the virtues and vices one can think of, and consider which virtue is lacking the most, and then contemplating that virtue, trying to integrate it into ones character, and understand it fully.

As an example, one of my greatest lacks was cleanliness (I was sloppy). I contemplated what it consists of. And especially all its benefits
Organization
Sanitization
Beauty
Accessibility
Simplicity
Ease
Clarity

Organizing things makes whats important more easily accessible. Things are clearer. I take the time to make sure I don’t just organize only for the sake of utility, and try and arrange things in a harmonious(beautiful) looking way. I’m more productive and unwasteful because I don’t lose or forget about anything as easily. I go through my fridge to make sure I eat the oldest food first, so nothing rots.

I think its much better to resolve a vice by inspiring oneself, and this is done by contemplating all the benefits of it. Forcing oneself creates inner tension. Sometimes its necessary to push against the grain, but I think most of the time its better if one can do something because they want to.

Any virtue, well developed, will help you develop other virtues, as my example illustrated.
I could just as well focus on being productive, and in order to be, I would have had to become orderly. I could have focused on simplifying my life, and would again, have to make order to achieve that virtue.
Disorder is ugly, and so needs to be resolved to improve beauty.
They are intricately connected.

2

Virtue is almost a dirty word these days and could stand to be re-evaluated. The concept of virtue is subtly denigrated in both religious (all that matters is ‘faith’) and non-religious (nothing matters) forms. Buddhism, which some have translated as mind science, thinks highly of virtue, despite philosophical tenets that have been historically mistaken to be nihilistic.

An excellent teaching on the relevance of virtue can be found below. What makes the article worth reading for people who are not Buddhists is that the emphasis isn’t on virtue as a pre-requisite for social order. It is an unusual way of approaching the idea of virtue for most people I would guess:

ordinarymind.net/Feature/fea … an2003.htm

I think the main issue is that we tend to not think of virtue with any real acumen or depth. We tend to think that we are either virtuous (we follow the rules) or we aren’t. We don’t think it is possible to work with our mind in a meaningful way, or we don’t think it matters.

3

Aristotle, through and through. Read Nicomachean Ethics.

4

But what if you had lasagna the night before?

5

Living a virtuous life in current society, is an achievement in itself…