The Virtue of Penitence

THE VIRTUE
of PENITENCE
(Penance/Poenitentia)

Furioso

1) ARISTOTLE on VIRTUE as BALANCE; 2) PLATO’S TRIPARTITE SOUL; 3) VIRTUES AND VICES of the TRIPARTITE SOUL ; 4) DEFINITIONS; 5) VIRTUE AS SPIRITUAL WARFARE

1) VIRTUE AS BALANCE (mean / midpoint)
(ARISTOTLE)

[vice of]

EXCESS

[virtuous]

MEAN

[vice of]
DEFICIENCY

[A] With regard to Penitence (Penance/poenitentia)

*Scrupulousness*	*Penitence*	*Indifference*
	▲

[B] With regard to Transformation (Reform/Progress)

Hermeneutic of Discontinuity	Hermeneutic of Reform	[*Hermeneutic of] stasis/rigidity*
	▲

[C] With regard to feelings of Fear and Confidence:

*Rashness*	*Courage*	Cowardice
	▲

[D] With regard to Pleasures and Pains:

*Self-Indulgence*	*Temperance*	*Insensibility*
	▲

[E] With regard to Truth:

*Boastfulness*	*Truthfulness*	*False Modesty*
	▲

2) DEFINITIONS

1) Liddell and Scott. An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1889.ISBN: 0199102066; 2) Henry George Liddell. Robert Scott. A Greek-English Lexicon. revised and augmented throughout by. Sir Henry Stuart Jones. with the assistance of. Roderick McKenzie. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1940.ISBN: 0198642261;

VIRTUE: ἀρετή / aretē [Latin: virtus]

1. goodness, excellence, of any kind, esp. of manly qualities, manhood, valour, prowess, Hom., Hdt. [1like Lat. vir-tus, from vir / man]; [2. rank, nobility, Theogn., Eur.]

3. in Prose, generally, goodness, excellence in any art, Plat., etc.; of animals or things, Hdt., attic.

4. in moral sense, goodness, virtue, Plat., etc.:--also character for virtue, merit, Eur., etc.

5. service done him, Thuc.; Xen.

VICE: κακία / kakía [Latin: vitium]

1. badness in quality, opp. to ἀρετή / aretē, excellence, pl. defects, Luc.

2. cowardice, sloth, Thuc., Plat.

3. moral badness, wickedness, vice, Plat., Xen.

[4. ill-repute, Thuc.; 5. evil suffered, Ntest.]

AS ἀρετή / aretē is not used in the New Testament in the sense of the Stoic doctrine of virtue, so κακία / kakía is not used in the sense of the Greek doctrine of vice. [...] κακία is a force which destroys fellowship.

Walter Grundmann ,Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, G. Kittel, tr. G. W. Bromiley & G. Friedrich, . Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, MI

3) PLATO’S TRIPARTITE SOUL

	REASON
	*logistikon / hegemonikon* nous / logos / ratio *contemplative faculty* PRUDENCE/phronēsis
DESIRE *epithumetikon* *epithumia* concupiscientia *longing* TEMPERANCE/sophrosunē		STRENGTH thumikon (thumoeidos) passionate, spirited irascible / orectic *courage / zeal* COURAGE/andrea
	JUSTICE/dikaiosunē

4) VIRTUES AND VICES of the TRIPARTITE SOUL

“All these kingdoms are mine [says the devil] … worship me and I will give them to you.” (Mt 4:9; Lk 4:6-7)

“You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve”.
(Mt. 4:10; Lk 4:8)

THE LOGISTIKON
Reasoning, Contemplative Self

VIRTUES
prudence

MIND (Reason)

nous / logos / ratio

VICES
pride

understanding
wisdom
humility
[justice]

vainglory
ignorance

THE PATHETIKON
Feeling Self, Subject to Emotions

DESIRE
epithumia / concupescientia

STRENGTH
thumos / irascibility / zeal

VIRTUES	VICES	VIRTUES	VICES
abstinence temperance almsgiving	gluttony lust avarice	courage endurance zeal enthusiasm	cowardice anger dejection acedia

“Command these stones to become bread.”(Mt 4:3; Lk 4:3)

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.(Mt 4:4; Lk. 4:4)

“Throw yourself down from here.” (Mt 4:6; Lk 4:9)

You shall not tempt the Lord your God. (Mt. 4:7; Lk 4:12)

5) VIRTUE AS SPIRITUAL WARFARE

VIR

TUE

versus

Prudence

Temperance

Courage

Justice

Ignorance

Lust

Cowardice

Injustice

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