6. Virtue, the Eye's Own Act, and Man's Purpose

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

Virtue in the Broad Sense #

• Virtue: The quality or disposition of a thing that enables it to do its own act well
• Not the same as the act itself, but what makes the act possible and excellent
• Applies to all things that have their own acts, not merely to humans
• Broad meaning: applicable to tools, organs, herbs, money—anything that has a characteristic function

The Example of the Eye’s Virtue #

• The eye’s own act is seeing
• The eye’s virtue (what makes it a good eye) is proper corneal shape
• An ophthalmologist must investigate the eye’s shape to understand why one eye sees better than another
• Sharpness is the virtue of a knife; dullness is its vice
• This illustrates how virtue is a disposition that enables, rather than is identical with, the act

Precision in Understanding Acts and Their Ends #

• The end or purpose of a thing is not merely its act, but its act done well
• The end of the eye is not just “seeing” but “seeing well”
• The end involves sustained excellence: seeing well throughout life
• This precision applies to all acts: the knife’s purpose is to cut well, the cook’s to cook well, the pianist to play well

Connection to Man’s End #

• Man’s own act is the act with reason
• Therefore, man’s end or purpose is the act with reason done well
• This can be expressed as the act with reason according to human virtue
• Virtue becomes essential for understanding how man achieves his end

Key Arguments #

The Relationship Between Act, Virtue, and Vice #

1. Every thing that has its own act has corresponding virtues and vices
2. Virtue is what enables the act to be done well; vice is what prevents it
3. The virtue is a quality or disposition, not the act itself
4. Therefore: Understanding a thing’s virtue requires first knowing what its own act is

Why Discovering the Eye’s Virtue Is Difficult #

1. The eye’s own act (seeing) is obvious to everyone
2. But the eye’s virtue (proper corneal shape) requires investigation
3. It may take an ophthalmologist’s expertise to discover why one person sees better than another
4. Application: Similarly, discovering man’s virtue requires understanding man’s own act first

Important Definitions #

Virtue (ἀρετή / virtus) #

• Definition: The quality or disposition that makes a thing good and enables it to perform its own act well
• Distinction: Not the same as the act; rather, it is what enables the act to be performed excellently
• Examples across domains:
  • Knife: sharpness
  • Eye: proper corneal shape
  • Herb: freshness
  • Money: wealth

Vice (κακία / vitium) #

• Definition: The quality or disposition that makes a thing bad and causes its own act to be done poorly
• Example: Dullness is the vice of a knife (prevents cutting well)

A Thing’s Own Act (ἴδιον ἔργον / proprium opus) #

• What that thing alone can do, or does better than other things
• Example: Seeing for the eye; cutting for the knife

Examples & Illustrations #

Tools and Their Virtues #

• Knife’s virtue: Sharpness enables cutting well; dullness (vice) prevents it
• Ballpoint pen’s virtue: Proper ink flow enables writing well
• Eye’s virtue: Proper corneal shape enables seeing well at distance

Organs and Their Virtues #

• The eye’s better performance at distance in one eye versus another depends on the shape of the cornea
• This is a matter of the eye’s virtue, discovered through investigation

Natural Things and Their Virtues #

• Fresh herbs from garden: More virtuous than herbs stored in a jar for a year
• Herbs lose their virtue: Cannot season food well when virtue is lost
• Salt’s virtue: Proper chemical composition to season food well

The Precision of “Doing Well” #

• The end is not merely “seeing” but “seeing well”
• The end is not merely “cutting” but “cutting well”
• The end is not merely “cooking” but “cooking well”
• The end is not merely “playing piano” but “playing piano well”

Notable Quotes #

“Virtue is what makes a thing good and its own act good.”

“You have to know what a thing’s own act is before you can know what its own virtue is.”

“It may take some time to figure out what is the virtue exactly of the eye.”

“If the salt loses its virtue, cast it out.” (Our Lord in Matthew 5, referencing the broad sense of virtue)

Questions Addressed #

What is the relationship between virtue and a thing’s own act? #

• Answer: A thing’s own act is what it does; its virtue is the quality that enables it to do that act well. They are not the same, but virtue is prerequisite to excellent performance of the act.

Why is the virtue of the eye not immediately obvious? #

• Answer: While seeing (the eye’s act) is obvious, the virtue that enables good vision (proper corneal shape) requires medical expertise to discover and explain.

How does the concept of virtue apply to man? #

• Answer: If man’s own act is the act with reason, then man’s virtue is what enables him to perform that act well. Understanding man’s virtue requires first understanding his own act.

Can virtue be expressed in different ways? #

• Answer: Yes. The same end can be expressed as “the act done well” or “according to virtue.” For example, the eye’s end is “seeing well” or “according to the eye’s virtue (proper corneal shape).”