Virtue as a Social Capital Cover Image

Cnota jako kapitał społeczny
Virtue as a Social Capital

Author(s): Andrzej Derdziuk
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, Systematic Theology
Published by: Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL & Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II
Keywords: moral theology;virtue;social life;

Summary/Abstract: The present article, describing the concept of virtue and its place in the formation of a person’s maturity, points to the social dimension of moral competences that have their repercussions in interpersonal relations. Virtue is a social capital thanks to the fact that it triggers definite mechanisms in a man, enabling him to get involved in the realization of the common good. It becomes a special cement of human relations when it ensures proper conditions for forming existential bonds with others and it shapes a personal way of experiencing the challenges that one encounters and of responding to them. The four cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, courage and temperance make up a cohesive quartet of attitudes that determine one’s ability to control himself and the possibility to help others in a responsible way. The supreme manifestation of the social capital is love, owing to which a man is prepared to give his life in the service of his neighbor.

  • Issue Year: 62/2015
  • Issue No: 03
  • Page Range: 59-75
  • Page Count: 17
  • Language: Polish