According to St. Augustine, "Prudence is the love that chooses with sagacity." Andre Comte-Sponville later describes prudence, the practical virtue, as the "most necessary" virtue for our modern times and also the "most overlooked." He describes prudence as the virtue that guides the use all other virtues when one is trying to make a decision in a specific situation. It is the "fidelity to the future." Prudence allows one to make virtuous decisions while being aware the long-term effects of them. Keeping in mind the description of prudence given by St. Augustine and descriptions of Sponville, do you think that Andre Comte-Sponville's assertions that prudence is the one of the most forgotten virtues is true? Do you think that prudence is the virtue to which the modern age must pay the most attention? Why or why not?
While Comte-Sponville presents prudence as the virtue most necessary in the modern era, he states early in the chapter that it has lost much of its meaning since it took its place among the four cardinal virtues of antiquity and the Middle Ages. Today, prudence is a word that means little more to us than precaution—particularly in the realm of considering one’s own health or actions. If this modern definition is correct, how is prudence a virtue at all if it generally concerns one’s own well-being?
The author argues that we need to look at the more traditional definition of prudence to fully grasp its meaning. As noted by Cicero, prudence comes from the word prudencia, which means to foresee and to provide (page 34). To be truly prudent, we must not be impulsive; we must constantly strive to foresee the consequences of our actions. Only by weighing these consequences can we make informed decisions. That being said, none of the other virtues could possibly exist without prudence. Comte-Sponville poses the following questions that exemplify this point: “What good is the truth if we don’t know how to live it? What good is justice, and why would we want it, if we’re incapable of acting justly?” (page 33). If prudence governs our decisions and our actions, then it logically is the forbearer to the other virtues. We cannot be just if we do not consciously decide to act justly.
To answer Michael’s question, I do feel that prudence is the virtue to which the modern age must pay the most attention. As Comte-Sponville discusses on page 37, technology has made it so that our decisions affect others more than ever before. Prudence is the virtue that makes us look the most toward the future, and our individual futures are now inextricably linked to the future of all humanity. Safeguarding the future of mankind begins with the simple concept of prudence; we must all strive to make enlightened and informed decisions not only to protect ourselves, but to protect all others as well. As Comte-Sponville states on page 36, “…it would be dangerous and immoral to forget that future.”
"[Prudence] has all but disappeared from the contemporary moral vocabulary." (31) I must agree. Before reading this section, I honestly wasn't sure of the meaning of the word prudence, but after reading, I have discovered that prudence, in all reality, is a virtue that I hold very dear to my heart. Comte-Sponville suggests that prudence is the "precondition" to all other virtues. As Andrea stated, we must choose, through prudence, to make a conscious decision to practice any other virtue.
Comte- Sponville alludes to Aristotle's ideas on prudence as the "disposition that makes it possible to deliberate correctly on what is good or bad for man." (32) If such is the heart of prudence, then I feel that prudence should be the driving force of our lives every day. Prudence should be practiced in every decision that we make. St. Augustine's link between prudence and sagacity furthers my belief that prudence, is a virtue that we should pay great attention to. It seems that today, as Comte-Sponville asserts, people leave this virtue behind and make rash and careless decisions quite frequently.
"Do you think that prudence is the virtue to which the modern age must pay the most attention?" Michael asks. In my opinion, prudence alone is not enough, but when coupled with morality is everything if "prudence advises and morality commands." (Kant, 35) When paired with morality, prudence is such a powerful virtue, and in my mind should steer all decisions in life. Our modern world could use a little more of this dynamic duo of virtues.
Well, now that I've got this "blog" thing you kids are into these days I guess its time to post my thoughts on the reading for "Prudence"? At any rate, I liked the quote "Without prudence, the other virtues are merely good intentions that pave the way to hell" (31). I had always understood prudence to mean, "provident care in the management of resources; economy; frugality" (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/prudence) and thus, never really thought of it as some kind of high road to moral success; I thought it was simple, cold hard logicality. So, essentially prudence is around for us to be able to apply morality. I feel like I can't quite make the connection wherein prudence is what allows one to apply morality; could we not apply morality in a less than practical sense? In fact, sometimes, it would seem, that many moral acts are, in fact, not overly prudent, or frugal, but is instead, making yourself go out of the way. Not always of course, but I feel like there are still those kinds of instances where prudence is a non-factor in the good quality of and act. Though, of course, the reading didn't necessarily deem it a rule.
A quote I found particularly profoundly deep, was "Shackled by pleasure instead of being freed from it (by pleasure itself), they are prisoners of lack, so much so that they miss they satiation" (41). The vicious cycle of obtaining and wanting, trying to always keep up with the "Robinsons" (i forget the actual phrase, so forgive me if that's the incorrect name. You get the picture though; trying to attain pleasure by keeping up with everyone else's material wealth, thus not allowing yourself to enjoy what you have). Indeed, it would seem that "excess is the pest of pleasure" (41), almost in a blinding and desensitizing sense.
"A virtue of the present, like all virtues, but essentially forward-looking or anticipatory. The prudent man is attentive not just to what is happening but also to what can happen; he is both attentive and careful" (33-4). C-S mentions that Prudence is not only just concerned with the here and now, but is always looking to the future and how things that are done will affect events to come. Prudence is an invaluable virtue to have because it is looking out for well-being of yourself and those around you. I like the example he gave that mentioned the father who can be a good father but if something happens to his children, while it may not be completely his fault, he is not innocent either because he was not prudent and forward thinking. I think Prudence is typically most present in good parents, who always want the best for their children and are looking out for their future, especially when their children are not demonstrating prudence themselves. This example allows me to look back at my own life and realize why my parents did some of the things they did at times. Even though I hated their decisions and wanted to do my own thing, now I realize they were just looking out for my well-being and not concentrating on satisfying what I wanted at the time but were looking at what would be best for my future.
"It is impudent to heed morality alone, and it is immoral to be imprudent" (37). I think this is a very thought-provoking quote that C-S ends this section with, and while in theory it makes sense to me, I'm not sure I can quite wrap my head around it.
"I think Prudence is typically most present in good parents, who always want the best for their children and are looking out for their future, especially when their children are not demonstrating prudence themselves. This example allows me to look back at my own life and realize why my parents did some of the things they did at times."
I think that Kelsey had an excellent point. Prudence is presented in good parents. And what she said made me think back to my own life situations when my parents have done something that I didn't agree with.
And to answer one of Michael's questions, I do agree that Prudence is one of the most forgotten virtues. I had always defined prudence as saving up your money, being frugal in a way. Along with being discrete about certain affairs. (I feel like we have all heard the term "prude" before and understand what it means to be called such.) I always thought of that as prudence and it wasn't until I read this chapter that i realized how important prudence was and what it meant to act in such a way. Prudence just doesn't pertain to money making decisions, but to all of our life decisions, whether that be where to go to grad school or who to marry. Our prudence tells us when we have come across the right decision based on all of our other virtues in a way. It guides our every decision, as it "preconditions" the other virtues. Perhaps it is the center most point and the other virtues form a circle around it. ... Yeah. I like that analogy.
Initially, I had to personally disagree that prudence is one of the virtues to which we must pay the most attention. Unlike fidelity and politeness, prudence is a virtue that is primarily self beneficial. In what ways could not being prudent harm another? It is clear how a lack of fidelity can harm another person or society as a whole but is this true about prudence as well?
Andrea's comments about the future of the environment refute my view immediately and made me rethink this virtue. Thinking through the future impact of one's actions on the future is incredibly important today. However, I agree with Karlie in that prudence is not enough. While assessing the future impact of one's decisions and actions is important, I dont agree that not acting impulsively or rashly are these necessarily bad qualities. Living in the future can be just as bad as living in the past. Being too forward thinking can cause you to enjoy life less than necessary.
I thought Holly's point about prudence being "self-beneficial" was interesting. I would tend to disagree with that (I think we all play a role in advancing prudence in society), but there is a major aspect of prudence that is a private virtue. For example, the fact that I am working hard in college, relentlessly slaving away over my homework like a young Abraham Lincoln, taking careful notes in class instead of partying it up and doing my best prodigal son imitation is an example of prudence on my part (I loved the line "fidelity to the future;" more that later), and while I guess Businessman Daniel might help society, my decision is primarily motivated by selfish concerns. (Not that selfish concerns here are bad; I'm not hurting anyone and I think most people want to give themselves a better future; it's natural and good). Still, even though the effects of my prudence are primarily self-beneficial, I think that prudence is still justified as an important virtue.
My reasoning is that I think it is almost impossible to be a virtuous member of society without getting one's own moral house in order. Just because the effects of a virtue doesn't have any obvious effect on society doesn't mean that virtue is useless; often, the effects of that virtue on the individual character will elevate that character, giving a better handle on the moral life as a whole, and then the effects of that character on the rest of the individual's actions will then influence society as a whole.
As I said, I really liked the "fidelity to the future" line. It reminded me of G.K. Chesterton's defense of tradition as the "democracy of the dead." I think that a lot of people assume that the present is the only time worth worrying about, and that we owe neither respect to the past nor concern for the future. This is really, really obvious with our approach to debt. Both privately (subprime mortgages) and publically (the national debt; thanks a lot Obama), we seem to assume that the needs of the present outweigh any future needs. Even when we talk about the needs of fulfilling our financial obligations, the reasons given are usually that we will have short-term consequences (higher interest rates, etc), as opposed to the objections raised by someone considering prudence; that taking on debts one cannot repay puts a horrible burden on the future, both on our future selves and on those who have not yet reached the age they can make decisions on these sorts of things.
The idea of prudence didn't mean a lot to me until I read this chapter, and through reading the chapter, I found out why. The author states that this virtue "is the one perhaps most often overlooked" (30). The author explains that this could be because in the modern day we regard it as more of an issue of psychology and calculation rather than morality, and because certain philosophers, specifically Kant, don't even recognize it as a true virtue. As I went on to read and understand the meaning of prudence and the importance it plays in our decisions, I have come to realize that it is extremely necessary and should be appreciated as such.
The most clear example I found the author use was this: "Better to lie to the Gestapo than to turn in a Jew or a Resistance fighter" (31). This made perfect sense to me. We all face difficult decisions, and rather than simply going with the choice that might seem the best on the surface (for example, not lying to an imposing authority, the Gestapo), we must consider the probable outcomes of the possible decisions (for example, someone being killed for being a Jew or a Resistance fighter). We use our prudence to weigh these options and decide which one is "best," which the author also explains is something that we must determine.
Perhaps a silly connection, but one that came to my mind nonetheless, was the airplane oxygen mask conundrum. If the plane's cabin pressure plummets, oxygen masks pop down from the overhead compartments and immediately every person is faced with a decision: to put his own on first, or help a neighbor who seems to be struggling. The general rule which society has accepted goes perfectly along with prudence: a person should secure his own oxygen mask before helping another person because if he starts having difficulties due to the oxygen level, what good will he or she be to anyone? This rule goes past the perhaps obviously "right" thing to do (help the neighbor), and considers the possible outcome if one helps others before himself (experiencing difficulties due to the oxygen level and becoming unable to help anyone). I thought that this issue played into the topic of prudence quite well and shows that even though everyone may not know the term for it, prudence certainly plays a huge role in each of our lives on a daily basis.
Prudence should definitely be paid more attention to by people in today's world. Whether or not it should be the virtue that is paid the MOST attention to, I am not so sure about. It needs to certainly be held in higher regard due to the fact that so many people today, myself sometimes included, act out of impulse and do not use prudence to think about the potential outcomes of their actions. We hear all the time, that we should just live in the moment, for today, because we never know what will happen. Thus, the message society tells us more and more fervently in this modern age is that we should neglect prudence, embrace the here and now, become immune to the past and not worry about the future. To some degree, I think this sort of thought is necessary, and that is why I do not think prudence is the most important virtue for today's society. However, as C-S explains, enjoying life and using prudence to act wise are too different matters entirely, and therefore, I must also justify the need for more prudence in society today.
It may seem like I am contradicting myself, and perhaps I am to a certain degree. More prudence is necessary in the present world when we consider all the consequences our actions might potentially have. However, if we don't ever act impulsively and try to be prudent in every situation, more so in smaller, personal matters than on a larger scale, such as in our government, then we may very well become crazy or depressed or just psychologically impaired, which, in the manner of being prudent and thinking about consequences, could affect our productivity and interactions with others in a very negative way. That certainly could not be a good outcome for society, today's or tomorrow's.
For me, this chapter begged a question that it didn’t answer. Prudence is a virtue of intelligence—so does that mean that level of intelligence and virtue are somehow intertwined? That it is easier for a smarter person to be more virtuous? Prudence is the virtue which guides the virtues—it tells us how to be loving or temperate or courageous. So if prudence has a direct correlation with intelligence, then it seems as if you are directly able to act out virtuous acts better if you are more intelligent. If you don’t have the brainpower to think through all the choices logically, to make the choice that is best for the future, to act on the other virtues, then how can you be at fault? This chapter made me wonder about the relationship between morality and intelligence. Does lack of intelligence pardon imprudence? Are smarter people more moral? Of course, I feel like I already know the answer to that question, at least. Of course not. Plenty of smart people are immoral (in fact, I suspect that many of the people who we think of as “evilest” were also on the smart end of the scale—usually it takes a certain amount of intelligence to be successful—even in evil.) So what does that mean? Should then smart people be even more harshly judged when they act immorally, because they truly had the brain capacity to think of the best outcome?
I think that prudence is a virtue that any age should pay attention to. It what transforms the other virtues from ideas to ideas with direction. It is the instruction manual to the other virtues. It is not necessarily the "best" virtue. Generosity, justice, and love are all examples of virtues that have more merit in their actions. But without prudence, it would be impossible to understand the proper application of the other virtues. Prudence is also a planning virtue. It allows us to calculate the events of the future and weigh our options. However, prudence can be reduced to vice. When used in a calculating way, it is not a virtue, but shrewdness. It must be used towards a good end to be considered a virtue. This makes me question whether or not C-S's example of it being an act of prudence to lie to the Gestapo in order to save the life of a Jew or Resistance fighter is accurate. Lying is an intrinsically immoral action, and prudence is only a virtue if it is used towards an honorable means. How can it be honorable to condone something that is intrinsically evil? JJ Ruwe
According to St. Augustine, "Prudence is the love that chooses with sagacity." Andre Comte-Sponville later describes prudence, the practical virtue, as the "most necessary" virtue for our modern times and also the "most overlooked." He describes prudence as the virtue that guides the use all other virtues when one is trying to make a decision in a specific situation. It is the "fidelity to the future." Prudence allows one to make virtuous decisions while being aware the long-term effects of them. Keeping in mind the description of prudence given by St. Augustine and descriptions of Sponville, do you think that Andre Comte-Sponville's assertions that prudence is the one of the most forgotten virtues is true? Do you think that prudence is the virtue to which the modern age must pay the most attention? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteWhile Comte-Sponville presents prudence as the virtue most necessary in the modern era, he states early in the chapter that it has lost much of its meaning since it took its place among the four cardinal virtues of antiquity and the Middle Ages. Today, prudence is a word that means little more to us than precaution—particularly in the realm of considering one’s own health or actions. If this modern definition is correct, how is prudence a virtue at all if it generally concerns one’s own well-being?
ReplyDeleteThe author argues that we need to look at the more traditional definition of prudence to fully grasp its meaning. As noted by Cicero, prudence comes from the word prudencia, which means to foresee and to provide (page 34). To be truly prudent, we must not be impulsive; we must constantly strive to foresee the consequences of our actions. Only by weighing these consequences can we make informed decisions. That being said, none of the other virtues could possibly exist without prudence. Comte-Sponville poses the following questions that exemplify this point: “What good is the truth if we don’t know how to live it? What good is justice, and why would we want it, if we’re incapable of acting justly?” (page 33). If prudence governs our decisions and our actions, then it logically is the forbearer to the other virtues. We cannot be just if we do not consciously decide to act justly.
To answer Michael’s question, I do feel that prudence is the virtue to which the modern age must pay the most attention. As Comte-Sponville discusses on page 37, technology has made it so that our decisions affect others more than ever before. Prudence is the virtue that makes us look the most toward the future, and our individual futures are now inextricably linked to the future of all humanity. Safeguarding the future of mankind begins with the simple concept of prudence; we must all strive to make enlightened and informed decisions not only to protect ourselves, but to protect all others as well. As Comte-Sponville states on page 36, “…it would be dangerous and immoral to forget that future.”
"[Prudence] has all but disappeared from the contemporary moral vocabulary." (31) I must agree. Before reading this section, I honestly wasn't sure of the meaning of the word prudence, but after reading, I have discovered that prudence, in all reality, is a virtue that I hold very dear to my heart. Comte-Sponville suggests that prudence is the "precondition" to all other virtues. As Andrea stated, we must choose, through prudence, to make a conscious decision to practice any other virtue.
ReplyDeleteComte- Sponville alludes to Aristotle's ideas on prudence as the "disposition that makes it possible to deliberate correctly on what is good or bad for man." (32) If such is the heart of prudence, then I feel that prudence should be the driving force of our lives every day. Prudence should be practiced in every decision that we make. St. Augustine's link between prudence and sagacity furthers my belief that prudence, is a virtue that we should pay great attention to. It seems that today, as Comte-Sponville asserts, people leave this virtue behind and make rash and careless decisions quite frequently.
"Do you think that prudence is the virtue to which the modern age must pay the most attention?" Michael asks. In my opinion, prudence alone is not enough, but when coupled with morality is everything if "prudence advises and morality commands." (Kant, 35) When paired with morality, prudence is such a powerful virtue, and in my mind should steer all decisions in life. Our modern world could use a little more of this dynamic duo of virtues.
Well, now that I've got this "blog" thing you kids are into these days I guess its time to post my thoughts on the reading for "Prudence"? At any rate, I liked the quote "Without prudence, the other virtues are merely good intentions that pave the way to hell" (31). I had always understood prudence to mean, "provident care in the management of resources; economy; frugality" (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/prudence) and thus, never really thought of it as some kind of high road to moral success; I thought it was simple, cold hard logicality. So, essentially prudence is around for us to be able to apply morality. I feel like I can't quite make the connection wherein prudence is what allows one to apply morality; could we not apply morality in a less than practical sense? In fact, sometimes, it would seem, that many moral acts are, in fact, not overly prudent, or frugal, but is instead, making yourself go out of the way. Not always of course, but I feel like there are still those kinds of instances where prudence is a non-factor in the good quality of and act. Though, of course, the reading didn't necessarily deem it a rule.
ReplyDeleteA quote I found particularly profoundly deep, was "Shackled by pleasure instead of being freed from it (by pleasure itself), they are prisoners of lack, so much so that they miss they satiation" (41). The vicious cycle of obtaining and wanting, trying to always keep up with the "Robinsons" (i forget the actual phrase, so forgive me if that's the incorrect name. You get the picture though; trying to attain pleasure by keeping up with everyone else's material wealth, thus not allowing yourself to enjoy what you have). Indeed, it would seem that "excess is the pest of pleasure" (41), almost in a blinding and desensitizing sense.
"A virtue of the present, like all virtues, but essentially forward-looking or anticipatory. The prudent man is attentive not just to what is happening but also to what can happen; he is both attentive and careful" (33-4). C-S mentions that Prudence is not only just concerned with the here and now, but is always looking to the future and how things that are done will affect events to come. Prudence is an invaluable virtue to have because it is looking out for well-being of yourself and those around you. I like the example he gave that mentioned the father who can be a good father but if something happens to his children, while it may not be completely his fault, he is not innocent either because he was not prudent and forward thinking. I think Prudence is typically most present in good parents, who always want the best for their children and are looking out for their future, especially when their children are not demonstrating prudence themselves. This example allows me to look back at my own life and realize why my parents did some of the things they did at times. Even though I hated their decisions and wanted to do my own thing, now I realize they were just looking out for my well-being and not concentrating on satisfying what I wanted at the time but were looking at what would be best for my future.
ReplyDelete"It is impudent to heed morality alone, and it is immoral to be imprudent" (37). I think this is a very thought-provoking quote that C-S ends this section with, and while in theory it makes sense to me, I'm not sure I can quite wrap my head around it.
So, I just read Kelsey's post and I loved this:
ReplyDelete"I think Prudence is typically most present in good parents, who always want the best for their children and are looking out for their future, especially when their children are not demonstrating prudence themselves. This example allows me to look back at my own life and realize why my parents did some of the things they did at times."
I think that Kelsey had an excellent point. Prudence is presented in good parents. And what she said made me think back to my own life situations when my parents have done something that I didn't agree with.
And to answer one of Michael's questions, I do agree that Prudence is one of the most forgotten virtues. I had always defined prudence as saving up your money, being frugal in a way. Along with being discrete about certain affairs. (I feel like we have all heard the term "prude" before and understand what it means to be called such.) I always thought of that as prudence and it wasn't until I read this chapter that i realized how important prudence was and what it meant to act in such a way. Prudence just doesn't pertain to money making decisions, but to all of our life decisions, whether that be where to go to grad school or who to marry. Our prudence tells us when we have come across the right decision based on all of our other virtues in a way. It guides our every decision, as it "preconditions" the other virtues. Perhaps it is the center most point and the other virtues form a circle around it. ... Yeah. I like that analogy.
Initially, I had to personally disagree that prudence is one of the virtues to which we must pay the most attention. Unlike fidelity and politeness, prudence is a virtue that is primarily self beneficial. In what ways could not being prudent harm another? It is clear how a lack of fidelity can harm another person or society as a whole but is this true about prudence as well?
ReplyDeleteAndrea's comments about the future of the environment refute my view immediately and made me rethink this virtue. Thinking through the future impact of one's actions on the future is incredibly important today. However, I agree with Karlie in that prudence is not enough. While assessing the future impact of one's decisions and actions is important, I dont agree that not acting impulsively or rashly are these necessarily bad qualities. Living in the future can be just as bad as living in the past. Being too forward thinking can cause you to enjoy life less than necessary.
I thought Holly's point about prudence being "self-beneficial" was interesting. I would tend to disagree with that (I think we all play a role in advancing prudence in society), but there is a major aspect of prudence that is a private virtue. For example, the fact that I am working hard in college, relentlessly slaving away over my homework like a young Abraham Lincoln, taking careful notes in class instead of partying it up and doing my best prodigal son imitation is an example of prudence on my part (I loved the line "fidelity to the future;" more that later), and while I guess Businessman Daniel might help society, my decision is primarily motivated by selfish concerns. (Not that selfish concerns here are bad; I'm not hurting anyone and I think most people want to give themselves a better future; it's natural and good). Still, even though the effects of my prudence are primarily self-beneficial, I think that prudence is still justified as an important virtue.
ReplyDeleteMy reasoning is that I think it is almost impossible to be a virtuous member of society without getting one's own moral house in order. Just because the effects of a virtue doesn't have any obvious effect on society doesn't mean that virtue is useless; often, the effects of that virtue on the individual character will elevate that character, giving a better handle on the moral life as a whole, and then the effects of that character on the rest of the individual's actions will then influence society as a whole.
As I said, I really liked the "fidelity to the future" line. It reminded me of G.K. Chesterton's defense of tradition as the "democracy of the dead." I think that a lot of people assume that the present is the only time worth worrying about, and that we owe neither respect to the past nor concern for the future. This is really, really obvious with our approach to debt. Both privately (subprime mortgages) and publically (the national debt; thanks a lot Obama), we seem to assume that the needs of the present outweigh any future needs. Even when we talk about the needs of fulfilling our financial obligations, the reasons given are usually that we will have short-term consequences (higher interest rates, etc), as opposed to the objections raised by someone considering prudence; that taking on debts one cannot repay puts a horrible burden on the future, both on our future selves and on those who have not yet reached the age they can make decisions on these sorts of things.
Wow, look how long that last comment turned out to be. I thought it was going to be sort of short but it wasn't.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of prudence didn't mean a lot to me until I read this chapter, and through reading the chapter, I found out why. The author states that this virtue "is the one perhaps most often overlooked" (30). The author explains that this could be because in the modern day we regard it as more of an issue of psychology and calculation rather than morality, and because certain philosophers, specifically Kant, don't even recognize it as a true virtue. As I went on to read and understand the meaning of prudence and the importance it plays in our decisions, I have come to realize that it is extremely necessary and should be appreciated as such.
ReplyDeleteThe most clear example I found the author use was this: "Better to lie to the Gestapo than to turn in a Jew or a Resistance fighter" (31). This made perfect sense to me. We all face difficult decisions, and rather than simply going with the choice that might seem the best on the surface (for example, not lying to an imposing authority, the Gestapo), we must consider the probable outcomes of the possible decisions (for example, someone being killed for being a Jew or a Resistance fighter). We use our prudence to weigh these options and decide which one is "best," which the author also explains is something that we must determine.
Perhaps a silly connection, but one that came to my mind nonetheless, was the airplane oxygen mask conundrum. If the plane's cabin pressure plummets, oxygen masks pop down from the overhead compartments and immediately every person is faced with a decision: to put his own on first, or help a neighbor who seems to be struggling. The general rule which society has accepted goes perfectly along with prudence: a person should secure his own oxygen mask before helping another person because if he starts having difficulties due to the oxygen level, what good will he or she be to anyone? This rule goes past the perhaps obviously "right" thing to do (help the neighbor), and considers the possible outcome if one helps others before himself (experiencing difficulties due to the oxygen level and becoming unable to help anyone). I thought that this issue played into the topic of prudence quite well and shows that even though everyone may not know the term for it, prudence certainly plays a huge role in each of our lives on a daily basis.
Prudence should definitely be paid more attention to by people in today's world. Whether or not it should be the virtue that is paid the MOST attention to, I am not so sure about. It needs to certainly be held in higher regard due to the fact that so many people today, myself sometimes included, act out of impulse and do not use prudence to think about the potential outcomes of their actions. We hear all the time, that we should just live in the moment, for today, because we never know what will happen. Thus, the message society tells us more and more fervently in this modern age is that we should neglect prudence, embrace the here and now, become immune to the past and not worry about the future. To some degree, I think this sort of thought is necessary, and that is why I do not think prudence is the most important virtue for today's society. However, as C-S explains, enjoying life and using prudence to act wise are too different matters entirely, and therefore, I must also justify the need for more prudence in society today.
ReplyDeleteIt may seem like I am contradicting myself, and perhaps I am to a certain degree. More prudence is necessary in the present world when we consider all the consequences our actions might potentially have. However, if we don't ever act impulsively and try to be prudent in every situation, more so in smaller, personal matters than on a larger scale, such as in our government, then we may very well become crazy or depressed or just psychologically impaired, which, in the manner of being prudent and thinking about consequences, could affect our productivity and interactions with others in a very negative way. That certainly could not be a good outcome for society, today's or tomorrow's.
For me, this chapter begged a question that it didn’t answer. Prudence is a virtue of intelligence—so does that mean that level of intelligence and virtue are somehow intertwined? That it is easier for a smarter person to be more virtuous?
ReplyDeletePrudence is the virtue which guides the virtues—it tells us how to be loving or temperate or courageous. So if prudence has a direct correlation with intelligence, then it seems as if you are directly able to act out virtuous acts better if you are more intelligent. If you don’t have the brainpower to think through all the choices logically, to make the choice that is best for the future, to act on the other virtues, then how can you be at fault?
This chapter made me wonder about the relationship between morality and intelligence. Does lack of intelligence pardon imprudence? Are smarter people more moral?
Of course, I feel like I already know the answer to that question, at least. Of course not. Plenty of smart people are immoral (in fact, I suspect that many of the people who we think of as “evilest” were also on the smart end of the scale—usually it takes a certain amount of intelligence to be successful—even in evil.) So what does that mean? Should then smart people be even more harshly judged when they act immorally, because they truly had the brain capacity to think of the best outcome?
I think that prudence is a virtue that any age should pay attention to. It what transforms the other virtues from ideas to ideas with direction. It is the instruction manual to the other virtues. It is not necessarily the "best" virtue. Generosity, justice, and love are all examples of virtues that have more merit in their actions. But without prudence, it would be impossible to understand the proper application of the other virtues. Prudence is also a planning virtue. It allows us to calculate the events of the future and weigh our options. However, prudence can be reduced to vice. When used in a calculating way, it is not a virtue, but shrewdness. It must be used towards a good end to be considered a virtue. This makes me question whether or not C-S's example of it being an act of prudence to lie to the Gestapo in order to save the life of a Jew or Resistance fighter is accurate. Lying is an intrinsically immoral action, and prudence is only a virtue if it is used towards an honorable means. How can it be honorable to condone something that is intrinsically evil?
ReplyDeleteJJ Ruwe