Living In The Cosmos: The Virtue of Ideal Agency

Years back I took a graduate course in Moral Theology and I learned that ethics are generated by the community (of a given people or culture). There's seemingly an innate recognition that there is a need for rules of conduct if a given society is to survive and thrive. In archaic societies more than often these rules of conduct were mythologized into their religious creeds. The rules were endowed with "divine authority," thus propagating their adherence amongst the populace.

In Stoicism, however, there is this idea of the "Perfection of Agency" or "Ideal Agency." What this means is as follows: the means to the optimal integration and realization of our ends. It is about virtuosity, that of "an ability developed to the limit of human capability, and not merely to the limit of a given agent's capability." [Lawrence C. Becker, A NEW STOCISM, Princeton University Press, 1998, pp. 107, 133-134.]

As Professor Becker puts it: "Virtuoso agents are made, not born, and they are made by having to learn to cope with passion, fear, pain, loss, depression, disappointment, malevolence, failure, and so on as well as the opposites." And "they must know as much as is humanly possible about things relevant to integrating all of the endeavors that they themselves might have, and optimizing their success in the entire range of circumstances they might possibly face." [Ibid, p. 108.]

The ancient Stoics were well-known for their stable character traits. And they stressed benevolence, persistently so! And though cooperative, they remained "committed to their own agendas, principled but not rigoristic." [Ibid, 110.]

So what we are talking about above is the highest Virtue for the Stoic, the perfection of that *ideal* one holds of oneself. Coming to know what that ideal might be for yourself must be the single focus around which all other, more communal forms of virtue must circulate. These other virtues are the foundational edifice for making the "ideal" in you "real."

These ancient Stoics, however, believed that we simply did not approach this foundational edifice from a base utilitarian perspective. These other virtues were not to be used just only as props, but they were to become *traits* of Ideal Agency.

As for their foundational edifice, the ancient Stoics fell back on an even older ethical set of virtues called traditionally the "Cardinal Virtues."

The ancient Cardinal Virtues are as follows: Justice, Wisdom, Bravery, and Moderation. And there are also the "Three Treasures" that undergird the Cardinal Virtues: Beauty, Truth, and Love.

Once I did a dictionary hunt into the finer meaning of the Cardinal Virtues, and I found this effort quite helpful. So if I may, I'll present such.

JUSTICE: the Quality of being Righteous; Impartiality; Fairness; Sound Reason; Reasonableness; Rightfulness; Validity; and Lawful.

WISDOM: the Quality of being Wise--sound judgment, judging rightly and following the soundest course of action, based on knowledge, experience, and understanding; Discretion--careful about what one says or does; Sagacity--penetrating intelligence, perceptive; Erudition--having wide knowledge, learned, scholarly; and Wise Discourse or Teaching.

BRAVERY: Gallantry--nobility of behavior or spirit; Brave--Fearlessness in meeting danger or difficulty; Courage--stout-hearted; and Valor--a heroic quality in the courage or fortitude shown.

MODERATION: Moderate--within reasonable limits, avoiding extremes; Mild, calm, gentle; and Temperate-- deliberate self-restraint.

Besides the Cardinal Virtues, the later Stoics of the Roman Period surely also concentrated on the practice of what is commonly called the "Roman Virtues."

The "Roman Virtues" were those qualities of life to which every Roman citizen should aspire. They are the heart of the Via Romana--the Roman Way. They are rods, standards by which we can measure our own behavior and character.

AUCTORITAS; "Spiritual Authority," the sense of one's social standing, built up through experience, Pietas, and Industria.

COMITAS: "Humor;" ease of manner, courtesy, openness, and friendliness.

CLEMENTIA: "Mercy," mildness and gentleness.

DIGNITAS: "Dignity." a sense of self-worth, personal pride.

FIRMITAS: "Tenacity," strength of mind, the ability to stick to one's purpose.

FRUGALITAS: "Frugalness," economy and simplicity of style, but not to be miserly.

GRAVITAS: "Gravity," a sense of the importance of the matter at hand, responsibility and earnestness.

HONESTAS: "Respectability," the image that one presents as a respectable member of society.

HUMANITAS: "Humanity," refinement, civilization, learning. and being cultured.

INDUSTRIA: "Industriousness," hard work.

PIETAS: "Dutifulness," more than religious piety: a respect for the natural order socially, politically, and religiously. Includes the ideas of patriotism and devotion to others.

PRUDENTIA: "Prudence," foresight, wisdom, and personal discretion.

SALUBRITAS: "Wholesomeness," health and cleanliness.

SEVERITAS: "Sternness," gravity, self-control.

VERITAS: "Truthfulness," honesty in dealing with others.

So--perhaps old, ancient--the combination of the Stoic's "Ideal Agency" along with the Cardinal Virtues and the Roman Virtues might serve today as an acceptable ethical system for not only the evolution of the community but for the personal development of the individual.

And none of these perspectives of Virtue/virtues have ever been mythically clouded. They are innately universal-- presented as such in the Hellenistic World, and just as easily could be employed in the Modern World.

In the end, however, it's all a matter as to whether we truly believe in and honor the Virtuous Life.