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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 4 page paper that discusses the concept of virtues, emphasizing justice, according to Plato through Meno and Socrates and St. Thomas Aquinas' Four Cardinal Virtues. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Page Count:
4 pages (~225 words per page)
File: MM12_PGjsplaq.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
faith, hope and charity, they comprise the seven cardinal virtues (Wikipedia, 2006). The word cardinal comes from a Greek word that means hinge, which means all other virtues hinge on
or are derived from these four (Finnis, 2006). "Justice is the steady and lasting willingness to give to others what they are entitled to" (Finnis, 2006). In his description and
explanation, we find Aquinas following along with Roman law and we also find Aquinas bringing in Aristotles work wherein Aquinas talks about two kinds of justice: distributive justice has to
do with dividing up things in a manner that is fair; these may be burdens as well as beneficial things (Finnis, 2006). Aquinas says there must be criteria for dividing
things (Finnis, 2006). Thus, there musts be reason involved in justice. Aquinas also talks about commutative justice, which has to do with other kinds of interactions between people (Finnis, 2006).
Although it is along the same lines, Aquinas carries his commutative justice far wider than what Aristotle called corrective justice (Finnis, 2006). Aquinas argues all people are responsible for
the precepts of justice (Finnis, 2006). Some of these are positive, things we must do, such as giving (Finnis, 2006). For example the duty to relieve poverty is a cardinal
virtue, i.e., justice, but it is also included under Aquinas discussion of love, specifically under love of ones neighbor, for Gods sake (Finnis, 2006). Aquinas is basically saying that
each person has a duty to give whatever he/she has that is more than "what one needs to keep oneself and ones family in the state of life appropriate to
ones (and their) vocation(s)" (Finnis, 2006). Aquinas does not require a person to give away everything they have to the poor or anyone else to be virtuous. He qualifies the
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