Virtue

From WikiMD's Wellnesspedia

Virtue is a moral excellence, a trait or quality deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. Personal virtues are characteristics valued as promoting collective and individual greatness. The opposite of virtue is vice.

Etymology[edit | edit source]

The term virtue is derived from the Latin word virtus, which means "manliness" or "excellence". It is associated with the Greek term arete, which signifies excellence of any kind.

Historical Overview[edit | edit source]

Virtue has been a key concept in ethics and philosophy since ancient times, particularly in the works of Plato, Aristotle, and other classical philosophers. It was also central to the moral philosophy of the Stoics and Epicureans.

Classical Virtues[edit | edit source]

The classical virtues include prudence, justice, temperance, and courage or fortitude. These are also known as the Cardinal virtues, which were derived from Plato's Republic.

Theological Virtues[edit | edit source]

In addition to the classical virtues, Christian philosophy added the three theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity. These were adopted by the Church Fathers, especially Augustine of Hippo, and incorporated into Christian theology.

Virtue in Different Cultures[edit | edit source]

Different cultures have different understandings and lists of virtues. For example, in Buddhism, the Brahmavihara or "four divine states" are considered virtues. In Confucianism, virtues are part of the concept of ren.

Virtue Ethics[edit | edit source]

Virtue ethics is a class of normative ethical theories which treat the concept of moral virtue as central to ethics. Virtue ethics is primarily associated with Aristotle and his Nicomachean Ethics.

See Also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

Wiki.png

Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index‏‎ - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes

Search WikiMD


Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) available.
Advertise on WikiMD

WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.

Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.


Contributors: Admin, Prab R. Tumpati, MD