The Way Forward - Leading A Virtuous Life - Part 4 Moral Virtues ► Temperance

JMJ

We last saw that Justice regulates our relations with others, God and our fellow-men (or women as the case may be). Temperance is focused on regulating our 'relations' with our passions that have been in rebellion since the fall.

The following diagram outlines the virtue of temperance in its subordinates and annexed virtues following the Catholic Encyclopedia model.

Temperance, is the moral virtue which keeps within the bounds of reason the desires and pleasures of the sensuous appetite attached to those action by which human nature is preserved in the individual (food / drink) or propagated in the species (procreation).

The subordinate species of temperance are:

Abstinence, which disposes to moderation in the use of food;
Sobriety, which inclines to moderation in the use of spirituous liquors;
Chastity, which regulates the appetite in regard to sexual pleasures; to chastity may be reduced to Modesty, which is concerned with acts subordinate to the act of reproduction.

The virtues annexed to temperance are:

Continence, which restrains the will from consenting to violent movements or concupiscence;
Humility, which restrains inordinate desires for one's own excellence;
Meekness, which checks inordinate movements of anger;
Modesty or decorum, which consists in duly ordering the external movements of anger; to the direction of reason.

As a final note the Waldron notes that the above can be summaries along Aristotle's eutrapelia, or "good cheer". This disposes to moderation in sports, games, and jests, in accordance with the dictates of reason, taking into consideration the circumstance of person, season, and place.

Application in Today's World

In looking at the reactions of all Catholics on the 'spectrum' below (plus those who fall to the 'right' of radical trad), I think that annexed virtues are paramount.

In dealing with developing an understanding of the crisis and dealing with people who hold a different understanding, we need to keep humble (hey our understanding may be flawed), keep the passions in problem regulation (keep calm and Catholic on), keep anger in check and maintain decorum.

As an aside the surest way to lose an argument is to get angry and lose rationality.

P^3

Reference

APA citation. Waldron, M.A. (1912). Virtue. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved July 27, 2015 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15472a.htm

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