In ‘Cultivating Good Minds’, Jason Baehr describes intellectual virtues as “virtues required to initially motivate learning”, “virtues required to guide the learning”, or “virtues required to overcome obstacles to learning.” According to…
Category: Philosophy
What Are The Moral Virtues?
On moral virtues Thomas Paine, the writer of ‘Common Sense’, said, “Here, then, is the origin and the rise of government; namely, a mode rendered necessary by the inability of moral virtue…
What Are The Social Virtues?
Social virtues lead to the social capital that yields the trust required for the organizational efficiency that, ultimately, results in voluntary social groups not based on kinship. But, what are the “social virtues”? According…
Dante’s Purgatorio: The Seven Deadly Sins And The Seven Heavenly Virtues
Dante Alighieri’s (1265-1321) treatment of the Seven Deadly Sins and their corresponding Seven Heavenly Virtues in the Purgatorio is one of the most influential artistic representations of the seven-seven moral schema: Dante structures…
St. Thomas Aquinas On The Seven Heavenly Virtues And The Seven Deadly Sins
Described by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and then elaborated in the 13th century by St. Thomas Aquinas in his famous Summa Theologica, the seven heavenly virtues are: Humility, Charity, Chastity, Gratitude, Temperance,…
What Is Virtue? Etymology And Definition
“Patience is a virtue.” – William Langland said in his 14th-century poem ‘Piers Plowman’. We’ve all heard that “Patience is a virtue”, and it’s easy to assume that by “virtue” what is…
The Philosophy Of Plato
Today we share the philosophy of Plato (428 BCE-348 BCE) from his famous work ‘Republic’, which was written around 375 BCE. Plato’s philosophy and discussions centered around the idea of an ideal…
The Philosophy Of Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Today we share the words of Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer, Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), from a collection of his various political writings, including: ‘Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality Among…
The Philosophy Of Marcus Aurelius
“… life is warfare, and a visit in a strange land; the only lasting fame is oblivion.” – Marcus Aurelius, ‘Meditations’, Book 2 Today we share the philosophy of Marcus Aurelius (121-180)….
The Philosophy Of David Hume
“But a fool must always find some person, that is more foolish, in order to keep himself in good humour with his own parts and understanding.” – David Hume Today we share…