The Four Cardinal

Virtues
Presented by Group 2
 Virtue
• Is a habitual & firm disposition to do
the good.
• It allows the person not only to
perform good acts, but also to give the
best of himself
 Virtue
• Virtues are also God-given powers
• Holiness made easy
• A good operative habit
• The good use of our freedom
 The cardinal virtues are the four principal
moral virtues. The English word cardinal
comes from the Latin word cardo, which
means "hinge." All other virtues hinge on these
four: prudence, justice, fortitude, and
temperance.​
 Prudence
St. Thomas Aquinas ranked prudence as the first
cardinal virtue because it is concerned with the
intellect. Aristotle defined prudence as recta ratio
agibilium, "right reason applied to practice.
 Prudence
• Is good common sense.
• Helps us to discover what is good in every situation &
helps us to choose the right ways of achieving it.
• A prudent person always seeks the most loving & just
thing to do in a given circumstance.
 Prudence

• The exercise of conscience is always guided by

PRUDENCE.
• It is the capacity for DICERNMENT
• The prudent person must investigate the situation & take
counsel from others.
 Justice

It is the moral & cardinal virtue by

which we give God & our neighbor
what is their due by right.
 4 types of Justice
Social Justice Commutative Justice

Applies the Gospel message of It calls for fairness in agreements &

Jesus to the structures, systems,
& laws of society in order to
guarantee the rights of
individuals.
exchanges between individuals or
private social group. It requires
respect of persons in our economic
transactions, contracts or promises
 4 types of Justice
Social Justice
Distributive Justice Commutative Justice
Legal Justice

Is justice that guarantees the

common welfare. It involves sharing. Is the other side of distributive
It sees to the just distribution of the justice. Requires that citizens obey
goods of creation that God intends the laws of society.
for us all to use & share.
 Fortitude
• Gives us the firmness, strength, & courage to deal with
temptations, difficulties, & dangers in doing what is right
and true.
• It is spiritual courage to do what is right, helping us
conquer fear, even of death in defending a just cause.
 Fortitude
• Prudence and justice are the virtues through which we
decide what needs to be done; fortitude gives us the strength
to do it.
• Fortitude is the only one of the cardinal virtues that is also a
gift of the Holy Spirit, allowing us to rise above our natural
fears in defense of the Christian faith.
 Temperance
• Is the virtue that enables us to control our appetites for these
goods (food, drink, sexual pleasure…) & use them in God-
intended ways.
• Food and drinks are all necessary for our survival,
individually and as a species; yet a disordered desire for any
of these goods can have disastrous consequences, physical
and moral.
References/Sources:

• CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

• A PILGRIM’S NOTES by Fr. Fausto Gomez, O.P
• https://www.learnreligions.com/the-cardinal-virtues-542142