The Cardinal Virtue of Prudence
The simple acquire folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
—Proverbs 14:18
Although most people have heard of the seven deadly sins, fewer people are familiar with that other list: the seven great virtues. The virtues can be divided into two groups: the three theological virtues (faith, hope, and charity) and the four cardinal virtues (justice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude). Although the list of the seven virtues is first found among the writings of Ambrose and Augustine, the list of the cardinal virtues wasn’t their creation; it was mentioned centuries before by Aristotle and Plato and represents the classical mind on what constitutes a virtuous man.
The cardinal virtues are not, I believe, what most Americans would think of if asked to define the four fundamental characteristics of a virtuous person. They are, in a sad sense, the antithesis of modern virtues. For example, consider the cardinal virtue of prudence.
Prudence is the wisdom to discern right from wrong. It is also “showing sound judgment in practical affairs” and being “sapient,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary. One who is prudent is one who is wise and exercises that wisdom in day-to-day issues.
Though it lies at the heart of prudence, the ability to discriminate good from bad or good from mediocre or, better yet, good from very near good, is not much appreciated today as a great virtue. “Discrimination” is oftentimes condemned as a sin, even when used justly and with a noble purpose in mind. For example, the Boy Scouts are being condemned as discriminatory because they disapprove of homosexuality and uphold heterosexuality as the only acceptable norm. They think it imprudent to allow homosexual men around young boys. Or again, many would consider it discriminatory to point out that it might be imprudent to put men and women in close quarters on naval vessels. In our backwards world, that which is consistent with the execution of wisdom on day-to-day issues is discriminatory and, hence, wrong.
We live in the age of tolerance, not prudence. These can be diametrically opposed. This is exemplified by the main character in Evelyn Waugh’s short story, “Too Much Tolerance.” The hero of that story thought that everyone was a “jolly good fellow,” including the man who ran off with his wife, and another man who stole his inherited fortune. The hero (or more appropriately, the anti-hero) in this story had no ability to discern right from wrong, so he kindly chose to assume that everyone was good. As a result, he allowed every good thing that he had to be taken away and became a most pitiable fellow, estranged from his wife and son, reduced to selling sewing machines door-to-door in Africa. Tolerance, taken to extreme, is a lack of the cardinal virtue of prudence.
While it is true that the lack of tolerance, taken to extreme, is bigotry, it is often assumed by those at the left side of the forefront of the culture wars that any form of prudence is evil. Calling virtues “evil” is a part of the double-talk common to those antagonistic to the faith. Prudence is the wisdom that allows us to discern double-talk from truth. It is that by which we avoid folly and by which we are crowned with knowledge, according to Solomon. It is a virtue sorely needed today.
Thomas S. Buchanan is the George W. Laird Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Delaware. He has studied at UCSD, Northwestern University, and MIT, and has held visiting professorships at the University of Western Australia and the University of Aix-Marseille. He has served as department chairman, deputy dean, and institute director, president of the American Society of Biomechanics, and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Applied Biomechanics. He is on the Board of Trustees of Saint Katherine College, the editorial board of Touchstone, and the board of The Fellowship of St. James.
A Journal of Mere Christianity—Delivered to Your Door
- Essays on theology, culture, and the Church
- Contributors from across the Christian traditions
Six print issues (one year) of Touchstone, plus full online access and PDF downloads for only $39.95.
Get a one-year full-access subscription to the Touchstone online archives for only $19.95.
bulk subscriptions
Order Touchstone subscriptions in bulk and save $10 per sub! Each subscription includes 6 issues of Touchstone plus full online access to touchstonemag.com—including archives, videos, and pdf downloads of recent issues for only $29.95 each! Great for churches or study groups.
Transactions will be processed on a secure server.
more from the online archives
30.6—Nov/Dec 2017
on Benedict XVI on the Fairest of the Sons of Men by Michael Martin De Sapio
31.6—November/December 2018
Victimhood Culture Scapegoats Its Very Source by Michael P. Foley
calling all readers
Please Donate
"There are magazines worth reading but few worth saving . . . Touchstone is just such a magazine."
—Alice von Hildebrand
"Here we do not concede one square millimeter of territory to falsehood, folly, contemporary sentimentality, or fashion. We speak the truth, and let God be our judge. . . . Touchstone is the one committedly Christian conservative journal."
—Anthony Esolen, Touchstone senior editor
