a journal of interesting technical ideas . . . a journal of interesting technical ideas . . .
The modern corporate state exhorts us and twists the idea of virtue. We’re surrounded by companies that speak of values and ideals.
Etymologically, virtue comes from Latin, “virtus”, which is moral strength or excellence. It’s root, in turn, is “vir” or man. In the Roman sense, virtue describes the characteristics of manliness. I’m going to skip the post-modern apology here and trust that the reader understands the differences that have come over the past two thousand years and simply leave virtue as traits that are deemed morally good.
Values, in contrast, are what we invest in personally. Being a Tarheel fan is a value to me. Virtues may be a subset of values, but values are broader and individualistic and reflect what we believe is important. Virtues are objective, where values are subjective and rooted in feelings. This may explain why we see “values” discussed much more than virtues in modern society.
Classically, the principal virtues are Prudence, Temperance, Wisdom, and Justice. Christians would add Faith, Hope, and Love to this list.
Eudaimonia is a Greek word translating to the state of good spirit or (I prefer) “flourishing”. In the works of Aristotle, eudaimonia was the term for the highest human good. Eudaimonia for a tree might be to provide shade, fruit, or places for birds to nest. For a human being it likewise rests in this concept of philosophical integrity with one’s purpose.
The concepts of Eudaimonia and virtues if one believes that human flourishing is represented in moral behavior. The ancients also had the concept of Zeal - latin “zelus” and Greek “zēlos”, meaning ardor or emulation. Zeal implies a passionate pursuit or jealousy today, but originally it meant to take as a model. Julius Caesar was said to have gazed at a statue of Alexander and felt this zeal - saying, “what have I done with my life in comparison?”