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As an introduction to Catholic ethics, I really enjoy this lecture. Topics covered include the human will, cardinal virtue, the distinction between moral and intellectual virtues, the struggle with passions, and also the Golden Mean.

In particular, pay attention to the segment that begins shortly after the half-hour mark. Any virtue can become vicious if it is not balanced with all other virtues. Generosity, as charity, can quickly act viciously to one's own well-being such that it compromises your ability to approach all other forms of virtue, hence, the Golden Mean. The picture this creates is like a kind of dynamic stability, where one cannot perfect any virtue individually where he is not effecting the perfection of all other virtues - to consummate one, is to consummate all. Virtue involves skill and intellect. The matter is not simply a case of adhering to arbitrary rule-sets; rather, these are a perfection of habits which are necessary to a person's ability to grow, to adapt, to become more skilled, more attractive...really, more like the ideal human, more like Christ, more like God.

Virtue is what balances the order of nature with the order of grace, or in other words, the animal with the Man.

As an introduction to Catholic ethics, I really enjoy this lecture. Topics covered include the human will, cardinal virtue, the distinction between moral and intellectual virtues, the struggle with passions, and also the Golden Mean. In particular, pay attention to the segment that begins shortly after the half-hour mark. Any virtue can become vicious if it is not balanced with all other virtues. Generosity, as charity, can quickly act viciously to one's own well-being such that it compromises your ability to approach all other forms of virtue, hence, the Golden Mean. The picture this creates is like a kind of dynamic stability, where one cannot perfect any virtue individually where he is not effecting the perfection of all other virtues - to consummate one, is to consummate all. Virtue involves skill and intellect. The matter is not simply a case of adhering to arbitrary rule-sets; rather, these are a perfection of habits which are necessary to a person's ability to grow, to adapt, to become more skilled, more attractive...really, more like the ideal human, more like Christ, more like God. Virtue is what balances the order of nature with the order of grace, or in other words, the animal with the Man.

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[–] • 0 pt

@PS @ARM

Peace, this is probably a very long shot, but let me know if this woman's voice is at all familiar to you. There's no philosophical interest in this, but I just really enjoy her voice. I love lecturers that are pleasant to hear. If you happen to know who she is, let me know. For all I know, she could be any nun in the world, or she could be an academic.

[–] • 0 pt

I did think I recognized the voice, but indeed, it could be any nun in the world, or even a Catholic laywoman who stumbled upon some essay and thought she'd volunteer to make an audiobook of it.

As for the lecture, I'll give it a listen today. With Voat messages lost I would have to do considerable searching through SearchVoat to find that Hindu lecture @ARM wanted me to watch, or that crisis-in-cosmology video you suggested, Chiro - so I have an excuse for the time being to listen to this first.

[–] • 0 pt (edited )

You'd probably only get a shallow pleasure from it. It's introductory, and I'm sure you know all of the material already. But it's concise and to the point, and it hits some interesting points about the 'middle path'. If I post a video, I don't ever expect people to watch it. An hour-long video is a commitment, especially when it's not pure entertainment. Additionally, I'm a weirdo that would put something like this on while I'm doing something else. I won't get every point made, but I kind of enjoy just having the lecture going in the background while I'm doing some menial task.

[–] • 0 pt

Lectures are great for background noise; interesting points will be absorbed.

And refreshing my knowledge is always a good thing. It's been a while since I've read Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics so maybe I will be reminded of some of the interesting excess-virtue-deficiency examples - like how with good humour there is buffoonery and prudishness.

I can't remember if I mentioned this to you - I think I mentioned it to @ARM once when he said Christianity contains no meaningful symbolism - but Christ being crucified between two thieves is a representation of the Golden Mean.