What Are the 7 Virtues?
There are many modern lists of virtuous behaviors that include seven elements: "The Seven Virtues of Web Design," "The Seven Timeless Virtues of Enlightened Living," and "The Seven Noble Virtues of the Workplace" are just a few of many that can be found on the Internet. The original and most widely known list, however, is the list of "Seven Heavenly Virtues," which includes the four cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance) and the three theological virtues (faith, hope and charity).
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History
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The seven heavenly virtues, as delineated in the Catholic catechism, evolved from the teachings of Plato combined with lessons in the Bible's Book of Wisdom and the preachings of St. Paul. In "The Republic" (written in 360 B.C.), Plato describes four cardinal virtues: wisdom, courage, moderation and justice. Sometime later, these four were incorporated into The Book of Wisdom (thought to have been composed in the first or second century B.C.), which states, "And if a man love justice, her labors have great virtues. For she teacheth temperance and prudence and justice and fortitude, which are such things as men can have nothing more profitable in life" (Wisdom 8:7). In his letter to the Corinthians (written in the first century A,D,), Paul says, "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity" (I:13:13).
Significance
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In the sixth century, Pope Gregory the Great devised a list of seven deadly sins (pride, envy, greed, anger, lust, gluttony and sloth), which he decreed should be taught to all members of the Roman Catholic Church. The sins were widely used in medieval and renaissance literature, especially in the works of Chaucer (Canterbury Tales), Dante (Divine Comedy), Edmund Spenser (The Faerie Queen), and Christopher Marlowe (Doctor Faustus). The seven heavenly virtues became popular as a counterbalance to the sins stressing what the virtuous man should do, rather than harping on what he should not do.
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Features
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The seven virtues are defined by specific beliefs and behaviors. Faith is belief in God as the Supreme Being, commitment to the Catholic Church and dedication to do good in the world. Hope is belief in the power of the Holy Spirit to help people get to heaven and remaining positive that the future will bring them good fortune. Charity is the love of God and love of neighbors. Prudence, or wisdom is abiding by reason and rules, being careful of how money is spent. Fortitude, or courage, is having the strength to resist temptation and refusing to give up. Temperance, or moderation, is having the willpower to avoid overindulging and abstinence from unnecessary pleasures. Finally, justice means to respect the rights of others, promoting fairness in all interactions.
Considerations
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Like the items on that other famous list, The Ten Commandments, the seven heavenly virtues are each open to various interpretations. People who were brought up in a highly structured religion, for example, may tend to regard the virtues as laws unto themselves, restrictions that require you to behave correctly if you want to attain a heavenly paradise. Others who ascribe to a more humanist point of view will tend to assess the virtues as guidelines for a civilized, rational life on earth.
Benefits
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Whether you interpret the seven virtues literally or figuratively, they certainly offer guidelines that can help anyone achieve a balanced, purposeful life. If all people were dedicated to the task of bringing happiness to others; ever hopeful that good exists in world; tolerant of others' beliefs and traditions; reasonable in how they conduct their business; courageous in times of stress; moderate in all things; and focused on fairness in all exchanges---the world would indeed be a better place.
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