One of my go-to themes is the diminishment in our times of almost all the virtues. Modern life does not simply create conditions which militate against their development, but also makes the words themselves sound lame—less impressive, less invigorating, more inclusive, more Hallmarky. The new sub-virtues cease to be worth striving for. Why strive for something like meekness, chastity, or humility (as we understand them today) when these virtues are mostly pretty dorky?
It’s time to get serious about restoring their good name.
As for prudence, the first cardinal virtue, the word often conjures associations with small-souled cunning and calculation. In some usage, prudence and courage are antonyms. Prudence is thought to be the coward’s virtue, demonstrated whenever a man cleverly avoids those times when he might have to summon courage and risk himself. Better to be a fox than a lion, he tells himself, and skirt these tests altogether.
Real prudence could be thought of as the fighter’s virtue, and real prudence demands that certain risks be run. On the most basic level it is "the perfected ability to make right decisions,” in the words of Josef Pieper. Every decision must be made within a context, and contexts can differ wildly. So prudence is needed to determine what is required by the circumstances before us; it is the virtue which identifies how to bring about the good from various challenges and opportunities, and directs us toward winning whatever fight we’re in. Victory rarely retraces the exact same path.
In The Meditations, Marcus Aurelius says the art of life is more like boxing or wrestling than dancing. He means that the martial artist does not get to shuffle like a ballerina in whatever direction he chooses, but instead must stand ready to meet concrete difficulties in the form of opposition—someone looking to bash his face in. He will need to summon the judgment and strategy to meet and overcome his opponent. Life is a metaphorical fight.
Courage too will be needed for these fights. Far from being the coward’s virtue, prudence is that which gives meaning and shape to real courage. Josef Pieper writes that "All virtue is necessarily prudent” because prudence is the “measure” of the other virtues—and this includes courage. All courage is prudent. When the challenges before you require a risk—when that risk is worth it—the failure to rise to the occasion is not just cowardice, but also imprudence. You failed to understand what the moment demanded, and you likely lost the fight as a result.
UFC 299
A remarkable case study of the link between prudence and courage was on display in the main event of UFC 299, when Marlon “Chito” Vera found himself outmatched by a superior opponent in Sean O’Malley. It became apparent early in the fight that O’Malley’s reach and boxing skills would allow him to piece Vera up, mostly avoiding danger himself while punishing his opponent. Vera’s face told the story of O’Malley’s advantages.
If Vera was going to have a chance, he had to turn the fight into a brawl. He had to get inside of O’Malley reach, where he might hurt O’Malley in a wild scuffle. But that required running a huge risk and making himself vulnerable in the attempt, possibly getting knocked out. Courage of course was needed to run that risk. And before courage, prudence was needed to determine that the risk was worth running—that the risk was Vera’s only hope.
It would be ridiculous to say a highly-ranked tough guy like Chito Vera lacks courage in a more general sense. But during the fight—undoubtedly one of the biggest moments of his life—he showed continued hesitance to press the issue. And it didn’t just mean he would lose the fight. His hesitance meant that O’Malley would inflict more punishment; every minute that Vera hesitated was another minute of a beating, getting his face turned to sausage.
Then in the final seconds of the fight something wild happened. Vera finally made it a brawl. He got inside and hit O’Malley with a big shot to the body, just before the bell sounded. O’Malley appeared hurt enough that he had to sit down and gather himself immediately after the fight. If there had been just twenty more seconds, maybe not even that much, Vera would have been able to follow up his attack. Something crazy could have happened. He might be champion of the world today.
But it was too late.
Again, my point is not to delight in armchair critiques of accomplished fighters like Chito Vera. But his situation is such a good metaphor for life that it needs to be emphasized. The failure to put ourselves on the line can guarantee defeat. It can also prolong our pain. We cannot hide behind a false understanding of prudence and cannot dress up our fearfulness in fancy clothes while calling it virtue. When good judgment tells us that it’s time to take a risk, we need to listen. The fight and the cause depend on it—and maybe our lives too. Prudence is a fighter’s friend.
Postscript: I will resume regular posts through Substack. Please forgive me for the very long delay since my last one. I was busy writing a book, now available, on the chivalric virtues.
Can't think of a more worthy aim off the top of my head.
Need to start dropping "prudent" in the correct context in everyday conversation & I guess I will have to stop calling people "prudes" as well in a negative connotation. Or even a positive connotation because it would be too confusing.
Great reflections - I've never considered the intricate links between prudence and courage before. Definitely something I need to hone in my own life!