Fortitude of Itself: The virtue of fortitude (123) - Part 2

7. Is it's action directed to it's own good?

There are two ends: proximate and ultimate.

1) Proximate end - introducing likeness into something else, ex: heat into wood, prudence into human deeds.

2) Ultimate end: whatever good occurs as result of proximate end.

Thus, a man with fortitude intends as his proximate end to reproduce a likeness of fortitude, because he wants to act in accordance with his habit: but his remote end is happiness or God.


8. Does it take pleasure in its own action?

There are two parts to pleasure:

1) Bodily - resulting from bodily contact
2) Spiritual - results from deeds of virtue

The primary act of fortitude is to endure things that are unpleasant to the body and soul. The brave man (possessing the virtue of fortitude) receives spiritual pleasure in the act of virtue itself and the end of virtue, but on the other hand he has spiritual sorrow and bodily pain.

The virtue of fortitude prevents the reason from being entirely overcome by bodily pain. Also, the delight of virtue overcomes spiritual sorrow, insofar as a man prefers the good of virtue to the life of the body and what concerns it.


9. Does fortitude deal chiefly with sudden occurrences?

There are two things that must be considered in the operation of fortitude:

1) As a choice - In this way it is not about sudden occurrences because a man thinks beforehand of dangers that may come and he prepares himself, to bear them more easily.

2) As a virtuous habit - In this way fortitude is about sudden dangers since a habit works by way of a person's nature. If a person without forethought acts virtuously in danger this is proof that habitual fortitude is in that person.

Yet it's possible for a person who doesn't have the habit of fortitude to prepare against danger by long preparation in the same way a brave man with fortitude prepares himself suddenly when necessary.


Article 10. Does it make use of anger in its action?

Concerning anger and the other passions there was a difference of opinion between the Peripatetics and the Stoics.

1) Stoics - excluded anger and all other passions of the soul from the mind of a wise or good man. They gave the name of passions to certain immoderate emotions of the sensitive appetite, wherefore they called them sicknesses or diseases, and for this reason separated them altogether from virtue.

2)Peripatetics - of whom Aristotle was the chief, held that virtuous persons should use both anger and the other passions of the soul, modified according to the control of reason.

The brave man employs reasonable anger for his action, but not excessive anger.


11. Is it a cardinal virtue?

The primary or cardinal virtues are those which contain parts that belong to the virtues in common. A common condition of other virtues is to act steadfastly, and fortitude above all other virtues involves steadfastness.

In addition, man shuns pain more than he desires pleasure. Those pains feared the most lead to death, and it is against them that the brave man stands firm. Therefore fortitude is a cardinal virtue.


12. Its comparison with the other cardinal virtues 

Prudence has the perfection of right reason. Justice leads to right reason, since the purpose of justice is to establish right reason in human affairs. The other virtues safeguard right reason when they moderate the passions. Fortitude is first after prudence and justice because fear of death has the greatest power to make men turn away from right reason. Thus the order among the cardinal virtues is prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance.

http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3123.htm