Mere Christianity: The ‘Cardinal Virtues’ (B3C2)
Chapter Summary, Key Quotes, and Outline
Here we go! Thanks for reading and enjoy our session materials for Mere Christianity Book 3 Chapter 2.
Summary
Jack continues his discussion on morality by introducing the Cardinal Virtues: prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude. Here Jack clarifies some misunderstandings about prudence and temperance, and explains that fortitude is essential for growing in any of these virtues. At the heart of this chapter, Jack draws a line between doing virtuous actions and having virtuous character. One who occasionally performs virtuous actions, but for the wrong reasons, may lack true virtue in their character. He gives us the famous example of the bad tennis player who in a moment of anger may actually make a winning shot. However, this tennis player cannot be relied on to make good shots consistently. If we fail to become truly and consistently virtuous then we cannot become the men God created us to be.
Quotes
“It is, of course, quite true that God will not love you any the less, or have less use for you, if you happen to have been born with a very second-rate brain. He has room for people with very little sense, but He wants everyone to use what sense they have.”
“An individual Christian may see fit to give up all sorts of things for special reasons - marriage, or meat, or beer, or the cinema; but the moment he starts saying the things are bad in themselves, or looking down his nose at other people who do use them, he has taken the wrong turning.”
Outline
The Cardinal Virtues
Jack outlines the 4 Cardinal Virtues (will address the Theological Virtues later on in MC): cardinal means ‘hinge of the door’
Most people - Christians and non-Christians will recognize the Cardinal Virtues
Prudence
Jack referring to practical common sense but many do not see prudence as a virtue
Christ said we must be like children; as St. Paul says we are never meant to remain as children in intelligence
Christ wants us to have a child’s heart but a grown-up’s head; to be simple and single-minded but also in first class fighting trim (remember WWII was going on at the time of these broadcasts)
God wants us to use good sense
Jack warns that becoming a Christian will sharpen one’s intelligence
Jack says Christianity is an education itself
Temperance
Various meanings including ‘teetotalism’ in Jack’s day
Temperance refers to all pleasures not just alcohol
It does not mean abstaining; it means going the right length but no further
Jack says Islam, not Christianity, is the teetotal religion
Temperance also means when a man gives up something but he does not condemn or begrudge others from enjoying this thing
People can be intemperate with many things (not just alcohol) - but one can’t be intemperate with CS Lewis, of course 😂
Justice
Jack gives us a very brief overview of justice: catch-all term for fairness
Fortitude
Also a very short treatment
Includes two types of courage: courage to face danger and courage to deal with pain
Jack reminds us we cannot practice any of the other virtues without fortitude
Being Virtuous vs. Doing Virtuous Action
Difference between virtuous action and being virtuous
Tennis player example: someone who is not good an tennis may occasionally make a good shot but is unreliable vs someone who is trained & well-prepared can be relied on to make good shots all the time
Man who perseveres in doing virtuous actions achieves quality of character
Jack is focusing on quality of character vs actions when discussing virtue
If we only thought of certain actions as virtuous, Jack says we can go wrong
Three Wrong Ideas: Action-only Thinking
1. If someone does the “right thing” then it doesn’t matter how or why he did it
Right actions done for wrong reasons do not build internal quality of virtue
For example, the bad tennis player may get angry and hit a hard shot which happens to result in him winning the match. But this doesn’t make him reliable
2. We may think God only wants people who obey set of rules (automatons)
3. We might think virtues are only needed for the present and that they don’t matter in next life
While there won’t be a need to be courageous or just in next world, we can only get to next world by being virtuous here on Thulcandra
Jack says God will not refuse admission to heaven if we lack certain qualities of character; but if we do not strive to be virtuous then we cannot become how God created us to be