I was reading in Proverbs this morning when I realized I was taking for granted a word I had always merely understood by context.
Prudence
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Prudence (Luca Giordano, 1684–6)
Prudence (Latin: prudentia, contracted from providentia meaning “seeing ahead, sagacity”) is the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason.[1] It is classically considered to be a virtue, and in particular one of the four Cardinal virtues (which are, with the three theological virtues, part of the seven virtues).
The word derives from the 14th-century Old French word prudence, which, in turn, derives from the Latin prudentia meaning “foresight, sagacity”. It is often associated with wisdom, insight, and knowledge. In this case, the virtue is the ability to judge between virtuous and vicious actions, not only in a general sense, but with regard to appropriate actions at a given time and place. Although prudence itself does not perform any actions, and is concerned solely with knowledge, all virtues had to be regulated by it. Distinguishing when acts are courageous, as opposed to reckless or cowardly, for instance, is an act of prudence, and for this reason it is classified as a cardinal (pivotal) virtue.
Although prudence would be applied to any such judgment, the more difficult tasks, which distinguish a person as prudent, are those in which various goods have to be weighed against each other, as when a person is determining what would be the best way to give charitable donations, or how to punish a child so as to prevent repeating an offense.
In modern English, the word has become increasingly synonymous with cautiousness. In this sense, prudence names a reluctance to take risks, which remains a virtue with respect to unnecessary risks, but, when unreasonably extended into over-cautiousness, can become the vice of cowardice.
In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle gives a lengthy account of the virtue phronesis (Ancient Greek: ϕρονησιϛ), traditionally translated as “prudence”, although this has become increasingly problematic as the word has fallen out of common usage. More recently ϕρονησιϛ has been translated by such terms as “practical wisdom“, “practical judgment” or “rational choice”.
Wisdom dwells with Prudence
“I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
I possess knowledge and discretion.To fear the Lord is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech.Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
I have insight, I have power.
By me kings reign
and rulers issue decrees that are just;
by me princes govern,
and nobles—all who rule on earth.I love those who love me,
and those who seek me find me.With me are riches and honor,
enduring wealth and prosperity.My fruit is better than fine gold;
what I yield surpasses choice silver.I walk in the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,
bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
and making their treasuries full.
“The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,
before his deeds of old;I was formed long ages ago,
at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
when there were no springs overflowing with water;
before the mountains were settled in place,
before the hills, I was given birth,
before he made the world or its fields
or any of the dust of the earth.I was there when he set the heavens in place,
when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
when he established the clouds above
and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
when he gave the sea its boundary
so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.Then I was constantlye at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
rejoicing always in his presence,
rejoicing in his whole world
and delighting in mankind.“Now then, my children, listen to me;
blessed are those who keep my ways.
Listen to my instruction and be wise;
do not disregard it.Blessed are those who listen to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.For those who find me find life
and receive favor from the Lord.
But those who fail to find me harm themselves;
all who hate me love death.”– Proverbs 8:12-36
PS: I know that my posts of late have been a bit less wild, even though the news is only getting worse. I am calling on the LORD Almighty to rescue HIS people, and for the moment am focusing on eternal things.
PEACE
♞
