Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| Chapter IX. Though justice and prudence are inseparable, we must have respect to the ideas of people in general, for they make a distinction between the different cardinal virtues.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
Chapter IX.
Though justice and prudence are inseparable, we must
have respect to the ideas of people in general, for they make a
distinction between the different cardinal virtues.
48. It is clear
also, according to the sacred Scriptures, which are the older, that
wisdom cannot exist without justice, for where one of these two is,
there the other must be also. With what wisdom did Daniel expose
the lie in the false accusation brought against him by his thorough
examination, so that those false informers had no answer ready to
hand!454
| 454 Dragon 44" id="iv.i.iii.ix-p3.1">Bel and the Dragon 44. | It was a mark of prudence to convict
the criminals by the witness of their own words, and a sign of justice
to give over the guilty to punishment, and to save the innocent from
it.
49. There is therefore an inseparable union
between wisdom and justice; but, generally speaking,455
| 455 Cic. de
Off. II. 10, § 35. |
the one special form of virtue is divided up. Thus temperance
lies in despising pleasures, fortitude may be seen in undergoing
labours and dangers, prudence in the choice of what is good, by knowing
how to distinguish between things useful and the reverse; justice, in
being a good guardian of another’s rights and protector of its
own, thus maintaining for each his own. We can make this fourfold
division in deference to commonly received ideas; and so, whilst
deviating from those subtle discussions of philosophic learning which
are brought forth as though from some inner recess for the sake of
investigating the truth, can follow the commonly received use and their
ordinary meaning. Keeping, then, to this division, let us return
to our subject.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
