What are Stoicism’s 4 Cardinal Virtues?
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What is the meaning of life?
A Stoic would say that the goal of life is to live in agreement with nature, to use reason to live in harmony with ourselves, other people, and the universe. If that’s too academic for you, the goal of life is to be a good person. To be thoughtful, caring people who are mindful about how they show up in the world.
We do that by embracing and practicing Stoicism’s four cardinal virtues:
wisdom (also known as prudence)
justice
courage (aka fortitude)
moderation (aka self-control or temperance)
‘Cardinal virtues’ may sound religious, but it’s not. The word ‘cardinal’ comes from ‘cardo,’ which means hinge — all other virtues hinge upon the core four.
And while we’re talking definitions…
Most translations of ancient Stoic texts and ideas say that we flourish when we live with virtue, the only true good. Instead of ‘virtue,’ however; a more accurate translation of what they were talking about is ‘arete,’ which is personal or moral excellence.
To live with arete — to live with excellence — you need to live with wisdom (understanding what’s good and bad, making wise decisions, being curious), moderation (practicing self control and self awareness), justice (demonstrating kindness, fairness, and impartiality), and courage (feeling the fear and doing the right thing anyway, enduring).
These are Stoicism’s four cardinal virtues, which they inherited, like many things, from Socrates.