The Cardinal Virtues

9/26/2025

The first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself.

When we sacrifice, we give up something we possess for something greater that we wish to acquire. We give up our will, and our pride, so that something better can take its place. Sacrifice is not the destination, but the foundation for what will be built. That something, is virtue.

The ancients described four cardinal virtues. The word ‘cardinal’ comes from the latin word ‘cardo’, meaning hinge. The cardinal virtues are therefore the four virtues on which all other virtues hinge. I will be discussing each of them in greater length in the following articles.

Virtue, like all good things, does not come without sacrifice.

• Prudence demands we sacrifice impulse
• Justice demands we sacrifice our selfishness
• Fortitude demands we sacrifice our safety
• Temperance demands we sacrifice desire

Without sacrifice, these virtues are nothing more than ideas. When we sacrifice ourselves for them, they shape our character and guide our lives. In the following articles I will break down each.

With a foundation of sacrifice, and the walls of virtue, the house in our soul begins to come together. But a house is incomplete with just a foundation and walls. The structure we build inside is crowned with the three Christian virtues. Faith, Hope, and Charity. When we have these, we have built a temple in ourselves where the Lord can dwell. I will write about these after I have completed my articles on the cardinal virtues.