The men to live possess, Aristotle comments to us in its work De Anima four faculties: intelligence, sensibility, locomotion and nutrition. Aristotle repots tu us that the soul, is the summary and beginning of these faculties, it is the perfection of the body, it is the first mobile engine.
In the chapter X of its work on De Anima Aristotle tells to us that the locomotion is the origin of the human elections and this one consists of the appetite and the intelligence practises, that he calculates with a view to an end. From the election the virtue arises, Aristotle comments to us in Ethics Nicomaquea BOOK IV, Chapter 2 about the moral virtues, “the ethical virtue is a way of being relative to the election, and the election is a deliberate desire”
The beginning of the action is, then, the election – like the source of the movement and not like purpose - and that of the election is the desire and the reason because of something … That's why, the election is an anxious intelligence or intelligent desire and such beginning is the man” He mentions to us then in its work that the last and natural end is happiness, and in Rhetoric he says to us that the happiness is “the Well-being accompanied by virtue”, a Rhetoric, the First book chapter V.
The virtue following its thought embellishes the man and accompanies it and directs naturally towards the happiness. The virtue is an average species between the excess and the defect clarifies to us in Eudemian Ethics.
Tomas Aquinas continues with this thought and synthesizes the moral virtues or virtues of the soul in 4, since any action needs of these: Temperance, Fortitude, Justice, Prudence.
In its work he reports to us: "that for the virtue need these things from themselves: first that knows what is done; second that chooses and that chooses for a certain, third end, which acting keeps firm and immobile in.”
The knowledge what is done implies the best reason that he wishes and that acts and this does to the prudence.
Choosing refers that we do not operate for passion and that does to the temperance.
The certain end implies a due end that is a justice.
Staying firm and immobile in acting means to strengthen us and this is to have fortitude.
Aristotle defines in Rhetoric this way the moral virtues, the First book, chapter IX: "The justice is a virtue as which each one has his as the law”.
Justice by definition, sometimes admits a perverse use, as Plato explain:
“The fortitude is a virtue by which honest works are carried out in the dangers, as it arranges the law”.
“The temperance is a virtue for which one proceeds, with regard to the pleasures of the body as the law arranges it”.
“The prudence is a virtue of the intelligence for whose way can be debated properly about the good thing and the bad thing, which we said that it refers to the happiness”.
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