Virtues ~ Part I
“Few [people] have virtue to withstand the highest bidder” (George Washington).
‘Virtue’ is a word that’s not old-fashioned; instead, it’s rare. When’s the last time you heard someone called ‘virtuous’? I’ll admit, it’s been a long time. Because every day I read wisdom from the Stoics, I encounter the Four Cardinal Virtues that inspire me to stay principled in this unprincipled world. While religions often claim they are the source of ‘virtue’, it’s simply not true. Virtue frameworks exist independently of religious teachings. What does ‘virtue’ mean and what are secular and Stoic virtues?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, ‘virtue’ is defined as, “…morally good behavior or character, a good and moral quality, strength or courage, a quality of distinction that gives something special worth” (www.oed.com). By extension, ‘virtuous’ means to be morally excellent. Hmmm…so, now it makes sense why it’s rare in 2026 that anyone would be referred to as having ‘virtue’ and to be ‘virtuous.’ I find that sad. And, I find it to be a personal challenge, an invitation to live virtuously.
The Four Cardinal Virtues of Stoicism are:
Wisdom Sophia or Phronesis in Greek - The Stoics identified phronesis, “… [φρόνησις ; FROH-neh-sis as] practical wisdom - the capacity to discern the right action in specific situations, particularly knowing what not to do “ (https://www.derekneighbors.com/concepts/compare/phronesis-vs-sophia/) And, they associated sophia, “…[σοφία ; soh-FEE-ah as] theoretical wisdom - the ability to see clearly, cutting through noise to identify what’s actually true and understanding the deeper principles beneath surface patterns” (https://www.derekneighbors.com/concepts/compare/phronesis-vs-sophia/).
Courage Andreia (ἀνδρεία)in Greek - This means facing trouble / hardship / suffering / fear / pain or even social pressures “…with endurance and without abandoning what’s the right thing to do” (https://www.odiphilosophy.com/andreia).
Justice Dikaiosyne (Δικαιοσυνη) in Greek - This refers to “…treating others fairly and with integrity, recognizing our role in the community; acting with kindness and fairness to all” (https://www.stoichandbook.co/what-are-the-4-stoic-virtues-a-beginners-guide-to-living-a-good-life-with-stoicism/).
Temperance Sophrosyne (σωφροσύνη) in Greek - This means, “…self-control, moderation, knowing where enough is. Without it, the other three virtues don't get a say, because your impulses are driving. Anger, greed, the fourth episode at midnight when you meant to watch one. Seneca, who was personally very rich and knew exactly how the trap worked, set the limit like this: ‘ You ask what is the proper limit to a person's wealth? First, having what is essential, and second, having what is enough’" (https://www.stoichandbook.co/what-are-the-4-stoic-virtues-a-beginners-guide-to-living-a-good-life-with-stoicism/). Interestingly, Sophrosyne was one of the good spirits who escaped from Pandora’s Box in the myth. She was the spirit of moderation, self-control, discipline over human desires and impulses (https://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Sophrosyne.html).
By the way if you aren’t familiar with ‘Stoicism’, check out my blog post on it: https://www.missyduncanphdofficial.com/post/wwsd .
Everything in the ethics of Stoicism is inclined to stem from the four virtues identified above. For example, patience, honesty, conscientiousness are usually viewed as indications of one of the four core virtues rather than separate ones.
Beyond the Stoics, what are modern day secular virtues? The VIA Classification by Peterson & Seligmam is a great place to start. “In the early 2000s, something groundbreaking occurred in the social sciences: Scientists discovered a common language of 24 character strengths that make up what’s best about our personality [virtues]. Everyone possesses all 24 character strengths in different degrees, so each person has a truly unique character strengths profile. Each character strength falls under one of these six broad virtue categories, which are universal across cultures and nations. See the full character strengths list here and learn more about each one” (https://www.viacharacter.org/character-strengths). This website explains each of the 24 character strengths in an easy-to-understand way. They are grouped under six categories that overlap with the Stoic’s Four Cardinal Virtues and add to more classifications: Wisdom, Courage, Justice, Temperance, Humanity, and Transcendence. VIA defines ‘humanity’ as “…love, kindness, and social intelligence” (https://www.viacharacter.org/character-strengths). And, they refer to ‘transcendence’ as “…gratitude, hope, humor, appreciation of beauty” (https://www.viacharacter.org/character-strengths).
In next week’s blog post, I’ll continue the series on ‘virtues’ by exploring modern secular virtues that derive from humanism, ethics, and psychology. Are you interested in learning more about virtues? Do you want to be one of the rare individuals in 2026 who is seen as a ‘virtuous person’? Please share your thoughts, insights, and suggestions by either commenting below this post if you are reading this on social media, or, if you are reading this through your email subscription, please share, by emailing me, at MissyDuncanPhdofficial@gmail.com . I invite you to subscribe to my blog at www.missyduncanphdofficial.com. My YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvddqOlfJbS0ypODwbmQ_JA . Although my channel is just hatched and is not quite a fledgling, I will keep feeding it and encourage it to take flight.
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