Single Idea 22396

[catalogued under 1. Philosophy / A. Wisdom / 1. Nature of Wisdom]

Full Idea

For us there are four cardinal moral virtues: courage, temperance, wisdom and justice. But Aristotle and Aquinas call only three of these virtues moral virtues; practical wisdom (phronesis, prudentia) they class with the intellectual virtues.

Gist of Idea

We take courage, temperance, wisdom and justice as moral, but Aristotle takes wisdom as intellectual

Source

Philippa Foot (Virtues and Vices [1978], p.2)

Book Reference

Foot,Philippa: 'Virtues and Vices' [Blackwell 1981], p.2


A Reaction

I'm not sure about 'for us'. How many of us rank temperance as a supreme virtue? Aristotle ranks phronesis (which I think of as 'common sense') as the key enabler of the moral virtues, making it unlike the other intellectual virtues.