Quodlibet 32 – Theological and Cardinal Virtues

Before answering this question, it’s helpful to first think a little bit about the relationship between the virtues and the moral life. The traditional Catholic view sees the moral life as the quest for human happiness and the virtues are seen as the best way to attain this happiness. From a purely philosophical point of view, virtues can be understood to be good habits which enable a person to perform excellent actions. As children grow up into adults, they form various habits which enable them to behave in certain ways. For example, the ability to speak, the capacity to enjoy certain foods, or the tendency to be considerate to other people are all examples of habits which govern the way a person acts. For a child, the corresponding activities may be very difficult to perform to begin with, but with enough encouragement and support, these habits become like a second nature. Because of habits, the child grows up into an adult who is able to easily perform and find pleasure in many different sorts of activity.

The activities that stem from a person’s habits may be either good or bad – they may be activities that direct a person either towards or away from their fulfilment and happiness. This view of morality is not to be confused with utilitarianism which seeks pleasure and avoids pain. The virtuous life is centred on joy which is rooted in truth and is communicable to others, and although pleasure may go together with joy, it is also possible to be joyful whilst one undergoes great trials. The morally virtuous person will have acquired a variety of habits which enable them to habitually perform morally good acts, and the chief of these habits are the cardinal virtues: temperance, courage, justice, and prudence. For example, with enough effort, a person who lacks the virtue of courage may grow to be courageous and love acting courageously if they are rewarded for performing courageous acts and criticized for performing cowardly acts.