Latin Flashcards
Latin - “Ex nihilo nihil fit”
Out of nothing, nothing (be)comes. Stated another way, Out of nothing, nothing exists. It is a philosophical expression first stated by Parmenides and the Greek understanding that things cannot disappear into nothing, just as they cannot be created from nothing (creatio ex nihilo), but if they ceased to exist, they transform into some other form of being.
Latin - “privatio boni”
The privation (abscence) of good. It is a theological doctrine that evil, unlike good, is insubstantial, so that thinking of it as an entity is misleading. Instead, evil is rather the absence or lack (“privation”) of good. It is typically attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo.
Latin - “Virtus stat in medio”
Virtue stands in the middle. Another way of saying this is, Virtue holds a moderate rather than an extreme position. Virtue signifies balance within a person whereas vice demonstrates imbalance.
