Chapter VII - Moral Virtues and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Question 1

Origins:

Answer 1

Aretê (Greek) = The moral excellence of man; virtue
Plato’s four virtues:
a. Wisdom
b. Fortitude
c. Temperance
d. Justice
*Aristotle sees the virtues as both intellectual and ethical–>they ultimately lead man to happiness

Question 2

Virtue in Holy Scripture:

Answer 2

No direct translation of Aretê in Scripture--> it is almost always translated as a “glorious action of God”:
Virtue in Maccabees:
1. Prudence
2. Courage
3. Virility
4. Faithfulness to God
Virtue in Wisdom:
1. Prudence
2. Fortitude
3. Temperance
4. Justice
Virtue in N.T.:
1. There are many lists of virtues and gifts of the Spirit that emphasize a justification by faith through charity. 
2. Their origin and end are God
3. Focuses on man bettering himself to be more like Christ.

Question 3

There are two ways of understanding virtue in light of Scripture:

Answer 3

1. Virtue and Moral Excellence (There is a remarkable convergence between moral and religious qualities taught by Scripture and moral qualities considered virtuous by philosophical ethics)
2. Virtues in connection with…Habits (philosophical-anthropology)
   (i. e. the self-improvement of man)

Question 4

Church Fathers, Magisterium, and Theologians

Answer 4

Fathers on Virtue: they see it as a ladder that carries man from earth to heaven. It unites him more closely to God

Question 5

Augustine’s definition of Virtue:

Answer 5

Virtue is a good quality of the soul by which we live righteously and cannot be used for evil; and God produces it in us without us

Question 6

The Magisterium has consistently taught the virtues as:

Answer 6

Faith, Hope, and Charity (these are natural moral qualities that are found in humans–this shows that human virtues are rooted in the theological virtues. Theological virtues help man to perfect himself)

Question 7

St. Thomas:

Answer 7

Faith, Hope, and Charity (he sees them as specific principles of human life, or theological virtues)
*After St. Thomas, the treatment of virtues has been an integral part of the study of moral theology.

Question 8

General definition of virtue:

Answer 8

good operating habit

1. habits that improve human faculties = virtue
2. habits that degrade human faculties = vice
3. Operating habits differ from Entitative habits (which order the good or evil nature of man, and not the direct faculties. i.e. sanctifying grace is a supernatural entitative habit, infused by God, that elevates man to the status of son of God)

Question 9

Operating habits have two subcategories:

Answer 9

1. Infused Virtue (Supernatural) - man receives a gift from God that is bound by Grace
2. Acquired Virtue (Human) - man achieves this virtue through exercise and personal effort
   a. Intellectual - perfects reason and speculative aspects (in practical terms)–allows one to do something very well, but does not ensure the proper usage (i.e. one can use science or technology for evil)
   b. Moral - perfects man’s will and trends

Question 10

Cardinal Virtues:

Answer 10

1. Prudence
2. Justice
3. Fortitude
4. Temperance

Question 11

Definitions of Moral Virtue:

Answer 11

An elective habit (free choice) that consists in a mean relative to us, regulated by right reason in the form in which it would be regulated by the truly prudent man

Question 12

The habitual desire for correct ends (intentional dimension) and the choice of actions that realize these correct ends (elective dimension)

Answer 12

Virtue cannot be seen as habituation or dependence–there must always remain a choice, however easier that choice may become through habitual exercise.
The act itself and the principal of the virtue is the good choice.
To speak of virtuous action requires not only an external act according to the standard, but also a determined way of acting. It requires:
1. knowing what one does
2. being able to choose interiorly the action as such; that is, choosing the action insofar as it is good in the “here and now”
3. acting firmly and consistently, without flinching amidst obstacles

Question 13

The act of virtue

Answer 13

is identified and commanded by a judgment of reason, and not by just any kind of reason, but by right reason; i.e., by practical reason, perfected by the moral virtue of prudence

Question 14

Two dimensions of Moral Virtue:

Answer 14

1. Intentional Dimension: the habitual ordering of tendencies according to the measure of truth and right reason–> focuses on the intentions behind the tendencies and desires good ends.
2. Elective Dimension: The actual choice of actions that realize the good ends that the intentional dimension strives for.

Question 15

PHR > P > VC

Answer 15

Practical Human Reason → Prudence → Virtuous Choice

Question 16

The Cardinal Virtues have all the other moral virtues contained with them. They are organized as:

Answer 16

a. Subjective Parts- distinctions of partial settings found within a cardinal virtue. i.e. sobriety and chastity are subjective parts of Temperance
b. Integral Parts - habits required for the full realization of a cardinal virtue
i. e. patience and perseverance are integral parts of Fortitude
c. Potential Parts - virtues that are connected to a cardinal virtue, in which they are not fully realized except for the reason of the cardinal virtue.
i. e. religion and piety toward parents are potential parts of Justice

Question 17

*!All of the virtues are connected to each other.

Answer 17

A virtue cannot reach its perfected state without aiding the perfection of the others.!*

Question 18

The middle term or “mean” of virtue

Answer 18

The elective act must adapt itself to the dictates of right reason which can be surpassed (too much) or not reached (too little)
The mean is not identical from choice to choice, but must be established by prudence in every single case
Nor is the mean the same for each person, but is established by prudence in each individual case, keeping sight of the conditions of each person. This is why the definition of virtue, it is said that the mean is “relative to us”

Question 19

Regulation of the mean (or middle term) on the part of right reason

Answer 19

The act of virtue is individuated and commanded by a judgment of right reason, i.e. practical reason perfected by the moral virtue of prudence (guide of virtue)

The moral virtues, considered together as an organism, are principle of the excellent choice not only in as much as they guarantee that such a choice will be made and taken to term, but first in as much as they permit the singling out of the choice that here and now is to be made

Practical moral knowledge presupposes a well educated affectivity.

Question 20

Intentional Dimension of virtue: Prudence presupposes the Moral Virtues

Answer 20

If the tendencies and will are not stably well ordered, not only will it not be possible to carry out good choices, it will also not be possible to single out what would be good to do

Question 21

Virtuous Ends are the principles of Prudence

Answer 21

The ways of rational regulation of the tendencies, sentiments, and actions require for full success of human and Christian life

Generically: prudence, justice, temperance, fortitude; specifically humility, sincerity, generosity…

That which is properly a principle of practical reason is the desire for an end, so inasmuch as the Moral Virtues, in their intentional aspect, consolidate the desire for virtuous ends, they are necessary for

Moral virtues are not enough to be prudent. The right habitual ordering of the tendencies and of the will is a necessary condition, but not sufficient.

Question 22

Elective Dimension of virtue: Moral Virtues presuppose Prudence

Answer 22

Following from stable desires of virtuous ends, prudence can single out the action that here and now realizes the virtuous end, in a way that can be chosen and brought to completion (elective)

The truth reached by prudence is the practical truth, and it possesses a particular nature. It is right in as much as it conforms to its principles, the practical reason is right when it adjusts itself to its own principles, thare are the virtuous ends.

Question 23

Virtuous Ends as Natural Principle of Practical Reason

Answer 23

Knowledge of the Virtuous Ends belong to natural reason and precedes prudence, as the understanding of speculative principles precede science

Practical Reason therefore has natural principles which constitute the point of cognitive departure, and of practical reasoning, and of the formation of the virtues.

St. Thomas affirms that both prudence and the ethical virtues depend on the reason in as much as it is natural,
The natural conception of virtuous ends is an important part of the “practical nature” of man, and constitutes the fundamental content of the moral natural law.

Question 24

Differentiation of Virtue

Answer 24

Scriptures: provide lists of the theological virtues and specific virtues of Christian living, but without providing a specific principle for dividing them.

Plato: offers four fundamental virtues (what we call the cardinal virtues) (Book of Wisdom takes this up)

Aristotle: uses more a descriptive method

Christianity: tended to adopt explanations revolving around the Cardinal Virtues.

Thomas: gives them a solid grounding with his classification based on his conception of the faculties of soul

Practical reason: is regulated by Prudence
Will: is regulated by Justice
The Irascible Appetite: is regulated by Fortitude
The Concupiscible Appetite: is regulated by Temperance

Question 25

Connection of the Virtues

Answer 25

Property by which one can not bring a virtue to the state of perfection without the other virtues
This is due to the participation of all in prudence, and, from a Christian perspective, the root of all virtue in charity
The passions and actions which are regulated by virtue are in reciprocal relation.

Question 26

Formation of the Virtues

Answer 26

Virtues (and vices) are acquired and grow by repetition of acts
Virtues diminish through performance of acts contrary to virtue
Prolonged cessation of virtuous acts can diminish and cause loss of virtue
No operative habit proceeds exclusively from nature, but some can be called “natural” because the proceed in part from nature and in part from acts done by the person.
Such “natural” habits are two:
1) the habits of the first speculative principles (Intellectus)
2) those of the first moral principles (sinderesi)
Differing from other habits (I.e. from acquired habits) these constitute themselves as natural dispositions for judging infallibly, a time that through ordinary experience one knows the ends of judgment
Parallel to the intellectual habits of first principles, there is in the will a natural principle of moral rectitude:
the natural inclination toward the good known by the reason, that however is not an incomplete habit, but something which constitutively pertains to the will.

Question 27

Infused Virtues

Answer 27

The immediate fundamental principles of supernatural life which the Spirit infuses are the Theological Virtues (Faith, Hope, Love)
The Theological Virtues inform the Moral Virtues, adapting them to the exigencies of life in Christ. (CCC 1813)
Infused Virtues: the virtues that are given to the Christian with sanctifying grace, and which are distinguished by the corresponding acquired (human) virtues, not by the matter they regulate, but by the criterion that inspires the regulation.

Infused virtues give the capacity to make valid choices in order to progress in Christian or Eternal Life but do not give the easiness characteristic of acquired habits. So the acquired habits are absolutely necessary for the Christian

Question 28

Gifts of Holy Spirit:

Answer 28

Permanent dispositions which render man docile to follow the movement of the Holy Spirit

1. Wisdom: to readily know and love divine things
2. Understanding : to understand profoundly the truths of faith
3. Knowledge: to value human things in their relation to final End.
4. Counsel: to discern what is to be done
5. Piety: to accomplish with diligence and filial love what refers to relation with God and secondarily with men.
6. Fortitude: to be ready to reject negative suggestions when in danger
7. Fear of the Lord: to avoid the stimulation of disordered passions to not offend the Lord

Question 29

Charisms

Answer 29

Charisms: various gifts that the Spirit distributes as He wills “for common benefit”, which not all Christians receive since they are not necessary for every Christian to develop in holiness.
Gratuitous gifts of God toward the supernatural end.
Ecclesial usefulness, and are ordained toward the edification of the Church, to the good of men and necessities of the world.

Question 30

Relation of Human Virtues to Infused Virtues

Answer 30

Depends on the mutual coordination between nature and grace:

In the Christian life there is a reciprocal influence between the human virtues and the infused ones:

Both are framed in the concrete effort toward holiness.
After sin, the person cannot persevere in the natural moral good, considered in its completeness, without supernatural help
The infused supernatural virtues facilitate the attainment of their corresponding human virtues

The complete dynamism of concrete action for holiness requires the presence of both types of virtue

Human virtues in a certain sense support and support

Question 31

Growth of Infused Virtues

Answer 31

Growth of infused virtue, in the same way as acquired virtue, does not depend so much on the action of man as the grace of God
Though the acts of supernatural virtue insure their possession. This happens because the growth in the corresponding acquired virtue facilitates the use of that infused one.
Man does have to personally dispose himself to such development
Neither spiritual tepidity nor venial sin cause the infused virtues to go away or diminish.
Good acts, prayer, and frequenting sacraments bring growth in infused virtue
Scripture teaches to ask for the virtues in prayer.
In synthesis, the infused virtues are granted with grace to all who believe in Christ, but it requires also corresponding human freedom.