Playback speed
×
Share post
Share post at current time
0:00
/
0:00
Transcript

Mark McKee - The Four Cardinal Virtues

What role should prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance play in our daily lives?

Thanks for following Pattern on Substack. We publish most of our interviews and other content on this platform. However, we are restricting comments here and encouraging people to join the conversation over on Mighty Network.

It’s free to join, come and say hi and help us build the future of the country..!


Summary

Ben speaks to Mark McKee about the four cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. We highlight the importance of these virtues in our daily lives and how they can guide our actions and interactions with others.

We emphasize the countercultural nature of these virtues in today's society and the need to refocus on moral courage and self-control. We also discuss the relevance of these virtues in historical contexts and how they can help us navigate challenging times.

The conversation highlights the disconnect between the ruling class and the general populace, both in politics and in professional life. The public often feels that their views are not represented by the 'elite', as seen in the recent referendums in Ireland and the Brexit vote. The lack of virtue and trustworthiness in the ruling class sits at the heart of this, as well as in cases such as the recent issues Boeing has been facing around safety.

We conclude that living by the four cardinal virtues can lead to professional and financial success, as well as personal satisfaction and a positive impact on the world.

Let's be virtuous :)

PS - apologies for the poor sound quality and couple of breaks in the interview where Mark dropped out. I am looking at using a different tool to facilitate these conversations to improve sound and image quality.

Takeaways

  • The four cardinal virtues - prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance - are foundational to living a virtuous life.

  • Prudence involves thinking through the potential consequences of our actions and seeking wise counsel.

  • Justice is about fairness and righteousness, treating others with respect and upholding the rule of law.

  • Fortitude is the courage to confront fear, uncertainty, and intimidation, and to persevere in the face of challenges.

  • Temperance involves self-control, discretion, and sound-mindedness, avoiding extremes and finding balance.

  • Living by these virtues can be countercultural and require moral courage in a society that often prioritizes revenge, conformity, and self-fulfillment.

  • The virtues have been valued throughout history and can provide guidance and stability in challenging times. 

  • It is important to build a positive and life-affirming outlook, focusing on gratitude and the abundance of good things in our society.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Four Cardinal Virtues

16:08 Prudence: Thinking Before Acting

18:06 Justice: Fairness and Righteousness

20:03 Fortitude: Courage and Forbearance

23:22 Temperance: Self-Control and Discretion

24:22 Introduction and Setting the Stage

24:22 The Four Cardinal Virtues

25:39 The Importance of Fortitude

26:34 The Need for Temperance

33:18 The Wisdom of Ancient Civilizations

34:25 The Overemphasis on Revenge

35:24 The Countercultural Nature of Virtues

36:54 The Shift from Left and Right Paradigms

39:21 Living Virtuously in Professional Life

46:09 Professional and Financial Success with Virtuous Living

51:59 The Lack of Virtue in Leadership

56:35 The Importance of Positive Environmental Narratives

59:26 The Manipulation of Ideologies and Lack of Virtue in Politics

01:01:26 The Need for Gratitude and Positive Outlooks

01:03:41 The Blade Runner Phenomenon and Non-Compliance

01:09:18 The Importance of Celebrating the Good in the World

01:11:30 Conclusion and Future Discussions

PATTERN
PATTERN
In-depth discussions with the leading thinkers and doers of our times.
Exploring and building distributed systems that serve the whole of humanity.