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Single Idea 20274

[filed under theme 23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / a. Virtues ]

Full Idea

Honest towards ourselves and whatever else is our friend; courageous toward the enemy; magnanimous toward the defeated; polite - always. This is how the four cardinal virtues want us to be.

Gist of Idea

The cardinal virtues want us to be honest, brave, magnanimous and polite

Source

Friedrich Nietzsche (Dawn (Daybreak) [1881], 556)

Book Ref

Nietzsche,Friedrich: 'Dawn (Daybreak) (v 5)', ed/tr. Smith, Brittain [Stanford 2011], p.276


A Reaction

I take this to be Nietzsche genuinely asserting his four cardinal virtues, rather than being ironic. He certainly asserts politeness as the fourth virtue earlier in the book. Cf a different list in Idea 20382

Related Idea

Idea 20382 The four virtues are courage, insight, sympathy, solitude [Nietzsche]


The 40 ideas with the same theme [qualities considered to make a person excellent]:

Unlike us, the early Greeks thought envy was a good thing, and hope a bad thing [Hesiod, by Nietzsche]
The virtues of the best people are humility, maganimity, sincerity, diligence, and graciousness [Kongzi (Confucius)]
The virtue of man is thoughtful foresight of future events [Chilo, by Diog. Laertius]
Socrates made the civic values of justice and friendship paramount [Socrates, by Grayling]
A good community necessarily has wisdom, courage, self-discipline and morality [Plato]
Each correct feeling relies on an underlying virtue [Mengzi (Mencius)]
Gods exist in a state which is morally superior to virtue [Aristotle]
Justice and self-control are better than courage, because they are always useful [Aristotle]
Friendship is preferable to money, since its excess is preferable [Aristotle]
Zeno says there are four main virtues, which are inseparable but distinct [Zeno of Citium, by Plutarch]
All is vanity, saith the Preacher [Anon (Ecc)]
The cardinal virtues are theoretical (based on knowledge), and others are 'non-theoretical' [Hecato, by Dorandi]
Don't fear god or worry about death; the good is easily got and the terrible easily cured [Philodemus]
Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth [Jesus]
Every night I critically review how I have behaved during the day [Seneca]
It is shameful to not even recognise your own slaves [Seneca]
The good life involves social participation, loyalty, temperance and honesty [Plutarch]
The six perfections are giving, morality, patience, vigour, meditation, and wisdom [Nagarjuna]
Each part of the soul has its virtue - pleasure for appetite, success for competition, and rectitude for reason [Galen]
There are practical, purificatory, contemplative, and exemplary virtues [Porphyry]
Allah rewards those who are devout, sincere, patient, humble, charitable, chaste, and who fast [Mohammed]
Descartes makes strength of will the central virtue [Descartes, by Taylor,C]
Buddhists wisely start with the cardinal vices [Schopenhauer]
The five Chinese virtues: pity, justice, politeness, wisdom, honesty [Schopenhauer]
The four virtues are courage, insight, sympathy, solitude [Nietzsche]
The Jews treated great anger as holy, and were in awe of those who expressed it [Nietzsche]
Christianity replaces rational philosophical virtues with great passions focused on God [Nietzsche]
Honesty is a new young virtue, and we can promote it, or not [Nietzsche]
The cardinal virtues want us to be honest, brave, magnanimous and polite [Nietzsche]
All societies of good men give a priority to gratitude [Nietzsche]
Courage, compassion, insight, solitude are the virtues, with courtesy a necessary vice [Nietzsche]
A path to power: to introduce a new virtue under the name of an old one [Nietzsche]
Modesty, industriousness, benevolence and temperance are the virtues of a good slave [Nietzsche]
Many virtues are merely restraints on the most creative qualities of a human being [Nietzsche]
Virtues can destroy one another, through jealousy [Nietzsche]
Some virtues imply rules, and others concern attachment [Foot]
If we are essentially free wills, authenticity and sincerity are the highest virtues [Berlin]
The modern virtues are courage, prudence, wisdom, temperance, justice, charity and loyalty [Scruton]
For the virtue of honesty you must be careful with the truth, and not just speak truly [Zagzebski]
If generosity systematically turned recipients into parasites, it wouldn't be a virtue [Driver]