Cardinal virtues

In the Christian tradition, they are also listed in the Deuterocanonical books in Wisdom of Solomon 8:7 and 4 Maccabees 1:18–19, and the Doctors Ambrose, Augustine, and Aquinas[3] expounded their supernatural counterparts, the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity.

Plato associated the four cardinal virtues with the social classes of the ideal city described in The Republic, and with the faculties of humanity.

Plato narrates a discussion of the character of a good city where the following is agreed upon: Clearly, then, it will be wise, brave, temperate [literally: healthy-minded], and just.

In Aristotle's Rhetoric, we read: The forms of Virtue are justice, courage, temperance, magnificence, magnanimity, liberality, gentleness, prudence, wisdom.

Philo of Alexandria, a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher, also recognized the four cardinal virtues as prudence, temperance, courage, and justice.

And they also are four in number, prudence, temperance, courage, and justice.These virtues, according to Philo, serve as guiding principles for a virtuous and fulfilling life.

[10] The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius discusses these in Book V:12 of Meditations and views them as the "goods" that a person should identify in one's own mind, as opposed to "wealth or things which conduce to luxury or prestige".

Additionally, justice pertains to a state's aptitude to equitably allocate resources based on individuals' deservingness, as determined by their merits.

It encompasses achieving a harmonious equilibrium and exercising disciplined control when it comes to overall pleasure and pain, ensuring that they remain within normal ranges.

Courage also entails maintaining sound judgment in tough situations, countering hostility, upholding virtues, remaining composed when faced with frightening (or encouraging) discussions and events, and not becoming discouraged.

Right judgment is supreme over all of these since by means of it reason rules over the emotions.Wisdom, usually sophia, rather than Prudence (phrónēsis), is discussed extensively in all parts of the New Testament.

Plato's word for Fortitude (ἀνδρεία) is not present in the New Testament, but the virtues of steadfastness (ὑπομονή, hypomonē) and patient endurance (μακροθυμία, makrothymia) are praised.

[13] Catholic moral theology drew from both the Wisdom of Solomon and the Fourth Book of Maccabees in developing its thought on the virtues.

Augustine of Hippo, discussing the morals of the church, described them: For these four virtues (would that all felt their influence in their minds as they have their names in their mouths!

Depicting a procession in the Garden of Eden (which the author situates at the top of the mountain of purgatory), Dante describes a chariot drawn by a gryphon and accompanied by a vast number of figures, among which stand three women on the right side dressed in red, green, and white, and four women on the left, all dressed in purple.

The virtues and the vices seem to mirror each other as positive and negative moral attitudes, so that medieval authors, with their keen predilection for parallels and oppositions, could conveniently set them against each other.

… Yet artistic representations such as Conrad’s trees are misleading in that they establish oppositions between the principal virtues and the capital vices which are based on mere juxtaposition.

In this work, Decadt follows in the footsteps of Pieter Breughel, who made a series of sketches on the 7 sins and 7 virtues about 500 years ago.