The hosts dive into the intriguing distinction between true and false prudence. They discuss why prudence is the queen of virtues and explore its interplay with morality and justice. The conversation takes a fascinating turn with insights into Arnold Schoenberg's artistry. Historical contexts, like post-war Germany, highlight empathy in moral decision-making. The essence of prudence is linked to aligning desires with truth and the necessity of understanding transcendentals for genuine goodness. It's a philosophical rollercoaster that balances tradition and modernity!
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Bach's Musical Critique of Frederick
Johann Sebastian Bach created a complex musical offering for King Frederick of Prussia instead of a simpler, fashionable piece.
His work subtly critiqued the king's Enlightenment values and pushed for a return to truth and tradition.
insights INSIGHT
Prudence Perfects Reason in Action
Prudence is the intellectual virtue that perfects reason as the highest faculty in man.
It provides the right reasoning for action, guiding moral virtues toward true ends.
insights INSIGHT
Mutual Dependence of Prudence and Morality
Prudence depends on moral virtues to have right ends, and moral virtues depend on prudence to measure right means.
This virtuous circularity unites intellect and appetite for right action.
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Alasdair MacIntyre's "After Virtue" is a highly influential work in moral philosophy that critiques modern ethical theories and proposes a return to virtue ethics. MacIntyre argues that modern moral philosophy has lost its way, leading to a fragmented and incoherent understanding of morality. He traces the historical development of ethical thought, identifying the decline of virtue ethics and the rise of emotivism and other relativistic approaches. MacIntyre proposes a revival of virtue ethics grounded in the Aristotelian tradition, emphasizing the importance of character development and the cultivation of virtuous dispositions. His work has had a profound impact on contemporary ethical debates, inspiring renewed interest in virtue ethics and its application to various social and political issues.
The four carnal virtues
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Joseph Pieper
In which, your hosts take aim at Frederick II (the other Frederick II), and discuss Prudence as truth and the distinction between false and true Prudence. Along the way they also touch on: Prudence as the Queen of the virtues; why Arnold Schoenberg (!) was a good artist; legalistic American bureaucrats in post-war Germany; and why man is not the measure of all things. They also get around to MacIntyre on managers (boo!) and Pieper on Prudence (hooray!). But they never do get around to that old radio standby, an exhaustive scholastic division of the virtue of prudence (listeners dying to hear a long disquisition on the ways in which “part” and “whole” are said will have to console themselves with the long digression on the transcendentals that did make it into the episode).
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