The 4 virtues ...
Today I was just reading and I came across this quote:
"Courage, the footstool of the Virtues, upon which they stand"
Robert Louis Stevenson
[Now, for those who do not know, this guy wrote Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Extremely talented man with a whole lot of other very good quotes. But that is for another blog].
I was stupefied. Why is "virtues" in caps? And what exactly makes up the virtues? I know what the 7 sins are, but kill me for I have no idea what the "Virtues" are. I need to know. He used the word "footstool". This isn't very common. I would have used cornerstone or something else. Does that mean he is referring to 4 virtues, rather than 7 or 8 or 10?
I guess. My educated guess.
Anyhow, this is what I dug from the internet.
Classical Greek philosophers considered the foremost virtues to be prudence, temperance, courage, and justice.
Our modern definition of these virtues according to the Merriam-Webster Online are as follows:-
1. Prudence refers to "the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason". The excellence of reason could be more commonly referred to as "wisdom";
2. Temperance refers to "moderation in action, thought, or feeling";
3. Courage refers to "mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty";
4. Justice refers to "the quality of being just, impartial, or fair".
Plato bonded these 4 Virtues as such, "Wisdom is the chief and leader: next follows temperance; and from the union of these two with courage springs justice".
I know, you are going to ask me what I am hoping to achieve by digging up all these. 我不知道，不过我得先搞清楚。或许以后有用。You never know when a little awareness of philosophy is going to help you in your life next time.
I am going to sit on this for a while. I think originally I wanted to know what courage means; what sort of difference it can make to my life mentally and emotionally.
Bear with me, dear journal. I am sure there is a reason why I am digging here, but it is just not obvious to me yet. It will hit me, I am sure it will hit me later as I plod along in life.
"Courage, the footstool of the Virtues, upon which they stand"
Robert Louis Stevenson
[Now, for those who do not know, this guy wrote Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Extremely talented man with a whole lot of other very good quotes. But that is for another blog].
I was stupefied. Why is "virtues" in caps? And what exactly makes up the virtues? I know what the 7 sins are, but kill me for I have no idea what the "Virtues" are. I need to know. He used the word "footstool". This isn't very common. I would have used cornerstone or something else. Does that mean he is referring to 4 virtues, rather than 7 or 8 or 10?
I guess. My educated guess.
Anyhow, this is what I dug from the internet.
Classical Greek philosophers considered the foremost virtues to be prudence, temperance, courage, and justice.
Our modern definition of these virtues according to the Merriam-Webster Online are as follows:-
1. Prudence refers to "the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason". The excellence of reason could be more commonly referred to as "wisdom";
2. Temperance refers to "moderation in action, thought, or feeling";
3. Courage refers to "mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty";
4. Justice refers to "the quality of being just, impartial, or fair".
Plato bonded these 4 Virtues as such, "Wisdom is the chief and leader: next follows temperance; and from the union of these two with courage springs justice".
I know, you are going to ask me what I am hoping to achieve by digging up all these. 我不知道，不过我得先搞清楚。或许以后有用。You never know when a little awareness of philosophy is going to help you in your life next time.
I am going to sit on this for a while. I think originally I wanted to know what courage means; what sort of difference it can make to my life mentally and emotionally.
Bear with me, dear journal. I am sure there is a reason why I am digging here, but it is just not obvious to me yet. It will hit me, I am sure it will hit me later as I plod along in life.
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