I beg your pardon
This week, we’ve considered the virtue of Justice. But is there ever a time when something other than Justice is called for? Surely, I’m not suggesting that we should ever hope for injustice…? But what about mercy? Must we always insist that everyone get exactly what they deserve in order to uphold the virtue of Justice? […]
The loving impartiality of true Justice
One of the hallmarks of the virtue of Justice is the ideal of impartiality: The idea that the decision or outcome in a matter should not depend on who is being judged. It is the reason why the statue of Lady Justice is blindfolded, while she holds the scales of judgment. We wouldn’t call it […]
On Justice and Freedom
In America, we have Department of Justice, nine Supreme Court Justices, a criminal justice system, a Bureau of Justice Statistics, and so on… Have you ever wondered why we don’t have a Department of Prudence? Or a public Fortitude system? Or maybe Supreme Temperance Officials (well, we sort of had that about 100 years ago […]
“The wisdom of God to do justice”
Remember when we considered that Prudence is not the result of knowledge, but rather a prerequisite to it? Well, Cicero observed that “[k]nowledge which is divorced from justice may be called cunning rather than wisdom.” 1 Kings tells the story of two women, who both lived in the same house and had just given birth, […]
Justice and The Lion’s Share
This week, we’re considering the virtue of Justice. Aesop tells the fable of The Lion’s Share: A long time ago, the Lion, the Fox, the Jackal, and the Wolf agreed to go hunting together, sharing with each other whatever they found. One day the Wolf ran down a Stag and immediately called his comrades to divide […]
Of Prudence and knowledge
If we desire to be prudent, we must not believe everything; we must not be reckless and careless; and we must not be quick-tempered. Notice that these are all conditions of the heart, not of the mind. Being discerning, careful, and calm does not require that we possess any specific knowledge or education. The PhD […]
The quick temper of imprudence
Imprudent people believe everything, and they act recklessly. But they also are marked by something else: a quick temper. As Proverbs makes clear, “[a] man of quick temper acts foolishly.” But note what is interesting about the Proverb: It does not say a prudent man has no temper, or that he never gets angry. As Charles Spurgeon has observed: […]
“A fool is reckless and careless”
Proverbs tells us not only that the simple believes everything, but also that the imprudent fool is reckless and careless. To be reckless or careless is to act without reck or care, (and no, that’s not wreck, like I wrecked my bicycle…although that might happen if you are reckless). It means to act without concern […]
“The simple believes everything”
Did you know that “neuro-physiologists at the University of Stuttgart have uncovered a connection between jogging and reduced intelligence. They tested more than 1200 people over a period of five years, and found that as the number of hours people jogged increased, there was a corresponding decrease in their intelligence. They don’t know exactly why […]
What the prudent man is not
This week, we will begin reflections on our school virtues: the seven classical or heavenly virtues, which consist of prudence, fortitude, justice, temperance (the four cardinal or human virtues), and faith, hope, and charity (the three theological virtues). Perhaps when we finish, we’ll spend a week considering why these virtues, and not others (like patience or humility). […]