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The Christian Idea of Man (Hardcover, New)
Loot Price: R476
Discovery Miles 4 760
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The Christian Idea of Man (Hardcover, New)
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Loot Price R476
Discovery Miles 4 760
Expected to ship within 12 - 17 working days
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In The Christian Idea of Man Josef Pieper brings off an
extraordinary feat. He acknowledges that whoever introduces the
theme of "virtue" and "the virtues" can expect to be met with a
smile - of various shades of condescension. He then proceeds to
single out "prudence" as the fundamental virtue on which the other
cardinal virtues are based. In defining it, he does away with the
shallow connotations which have debased it in modern times.
Similarly, he manages to divest it of all traces of "moralism,"
which, to a large extent has become identified with the Christian
idea of virtue and has made it fall into general disrepute. For
Pieper, prudence is fundamentally based on a clear perception of
reality - of things as they are - and the prudent person is the one
who acts in accordance with this perception. It has nothing to do
with knowing how to avoid decisions which might be to one's
disadvantage. Similarly, justice, which is based on prudence,
involves acting toward other persons according to one's perception
of the truth of the circumstances - again, a perception of things
"as they are." This is not a reference to any "status quo," but to
the reality as constituted by the Creator. In referring to courage
[fortitude], Pieper discusses the overcoming of fear. This does not
imply having no fear but, precisely, overcoming it. With regard to
the fundamental fear of death, Pieper rejects the approaches which
contend that there is nothing to fear in death. On the contrary,
there is everything to fear in death: it concerns the question of
possible absolute annihilation! Here Pieper introduces the
consideration of the "theological" virtues of faith, hope, and love
[charity]. When confronted with the question of possible
annihilation, the Christian's faith is paramount. Belief in God
lets him confront danger and overcome even the most radical fear -
through hope in God. His love of God does not wipe out fear but
gives him courage. Moderation is seen as the last in the hierarchy
of the cardinal virtues. Through its manifestation, in recent
Christian thinking, with chastity and abstinence, it became in the
Christian mind the most prominent characteristic of the Christian
idea of man and one that dominated everything else. It has been
reduced to the status of the most private of the virtues and is
combined with a moralistic conception of the good. Pieper's
analysis of moderation shows how this virtue needs to be rethought,
although, even then, it will remain the last in the hierarchy of
virtues.
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