What is your favorite virtue?

[cybrxkhan]

Tie between prudence and charity for me.

 

[metatron]

Just so. I rest my case. Clearly superior to prudence in every way.

I sense a lack of prudence in this application of Fortitude, Hope or Faith (your pick).

 

[Perfection]

The poll looks like a list of strippers.

Have you seen Fortitude's act?

 

[Arachnofiend]

I stared at the list for a while before accepting that none of these things are priorities for me.

I'm a bad girl.

 

[Mechanicalsalvation]

Wisdom beats prudence anytime but gets beaten by love.
Poise and equanimity seems to be essential.
Divine compassion not human, which is usually just form of an attachment, is probably the highest virtue.
It would seem that gratitude houses all the other virtues. Just like humility.

My personal favorites are: wisdom, self-control and cheerfulness.

 

[Mechanicalsalvation]

I stared at the list for a while before accepting that none of these things are priorities for me.

I'm a bad girl.

C´mon there must be something....

 

[Kyriakos]

Temperance

 

[Tahuti]

I've chosen fortitude. I can most easily imagine that to be a prerequisite for all the other virtues.

 

[Eukaryote]

My favourite virtue is epistemic rationality, as defined here:
http://lesswrong.com/lw/31/what_do_we_mean_by_rationality/

 

[Birdjaguar]

I'll go with kindness.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Prudence. Phronesis is the goal of mankind.

In Book 6 of the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle distinguishes between two intellectual virtues which are sometimes translated as "wisdom": sophia and phronesis. Sophia (sometimes translated as "theoretical wisdom") is a combination of nous, the ability to discern reality, and epistēmē, a type of knowledge which is logically built up, and teachable, and which is sometimes equated with science. Sophia, in other words, involves reasoning concerning universal truths. Phronesis also combines a capability of rational thinking, with a type of knowledge. On the one hand it requires the capability to rationally consider actions which can deliver desired effects. Aristotle says that phronesis is not simply a skill (techn&#275, however, as it involves not only the ability to decide how to achieve a certain end, but also the ability to reflect upon and determine good ends consistent with the aim of living well overall. Aristotle points out that although sophia is higher and more serious than phronesis, the highest pursuit of wisdom and happiness requires both, because phronesis facilitates sophia. He also associates phronesis with political ability.

According to Aristotle' theory on rhetoric phronesis is one of the three types of appeal to character (ethos). The other two are respectively appeals to arete (virtue) and eunoia (goodwill).

Gaining phronesis requires maturation, in Aristotle's thought:
“ Whereas young people become accomplished in geometry and mathematics, and wise within these limits, prudent young people do not seem to be found. The reason is that prudence is concerned with particulars as well as universals, and particulars become known from experience, but a young person lacks experience, since some length of time is needed to produce it (Nicomachean Ethics 1142 a).”

Phronesis is concerned with particulars, because it is concerned with how to act in particular situations. One can learn the principles of action, but applying them in the real world, in situations one could not have foreseen, requires experience of the world. For example, if one knows that one should be honest, one might act in certain situations in ways that cause pain and offense; knowing how to apply honesty in balance with other considerations and in specific contexts requires experience.

Aristotle holds that having phronesis is both necessary and sufficient for being virtuous; because phronesis is practical, it is impossible to be both phronetic and akratic; i.e., prudent persons cannot act against their "better judgement."

 

[Kyriakos]

^ +1

The ability to salvage ones phronesis is called sophrosyne1, from sozein (to save) and phronesis

And Aristotle is entirely correct on the very young people being able to excel at types of wisdom such as math or other analytical or synthetic skills, but not be able to have experience to estimate a course in the actual life among others around them.

 

[Verarde]

I had to go with Justice. It's something that I feel very strongly about and think about often.
Maybe I should have been a vigilante in another life.

 

[Zelig]

Competence.

 

[JollyRoger]

Have you seen Fortitude's act?

Max Mosley got it removed from the internets before I had a chance.

 

[Darkflight]

There is no single greatest virtue, and they aren't all they are cracked up to be either.

 

[Gori the Grey]

Darkflight, you'd be a buzzkill at Justin Trudeau's Ladies' Night. Anyway, you're not asked to vote for the greatest, just your favorite.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Prudence. Phronesis is the goal of mankind.

Aristotle holds that having phronesis is both necessary and sufficient for being virtuous; because phronesis is practical, it is impossible to be both phronetic and akratic; i.e., prudent persons cannot act against their "better judgement."

Balderdash! Life without passion is not life. Oftentimes, it is acting against one's better judgment that creates happiness, success and makes the world a better place.

 

[timtofly]

Is being kind acting against one' better judgment? Or is kindness itself the better judgment?

 

[Birdjaguar]

Is being kind acting against one' better judgment? Or is kindness itself the better judgment?

It is often an action that is impulsive or otherwise rooted in feelings rather than reason.