Moral Philosophy by S. J. Joseph Rickaby
page 74 of 356 (20%)
page 74 of 356 (20%)
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be formed. When sin is taken away by God and pardoned, the vice, that
is, the evil habit, if any such existed before, still remains, and constitutes a danger for the future. The habit can only be overcome by watchfulness and a long continuance of contrary acts. But vice is not sin, nor is sin vice, nor a good deed a virtue. 2. The name of virtue is given to certain habits residing in the intellect, as _intuition_ or _insight_ (into self-evident truths), _wisdom_ (regarding conclusions of main application), _science_ (of conclusions in special departments), and _art_. These are called _intellectual virtues_. It was a peculiarity of Socrates' teaching, largely shared by Plato, to make all virtue intellectual, a doctrine expressed in the formula, _Virtue is knowledge_; which is tantamount to this other, _Vice is ignorance_, or _an erroneous view_. From whence the conclusion is inevitable: _No evil deed is wilfully done_; and therefore, _No man is to blame for being wicked_. 3. Undoubtedly there is a certain element of ignorance in all vice, and a certain absence of will about every vicious act. There is likewise an intellectual side to all virtue. These positions we willingly concede to the Socratics. Every morally evil act is borne of some voluntary inconsiderateness. The agent is looking the wrong way in the instant at which he does wrong. Either he is regarding only the solicitations of his inferior nature to the neglect of the superior, or he is considering some rational good indeed, but a rational good which, if he would look steadily upon it, he would perceive to be unbefitting for him to choose. No man can do evil in the very instant in which his understanding is considering, above all things else, that |
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