Intellectual Virtues

Character traits necessary for right action and correct thinking. They include: intellectual sense of justice, intellectual perseverance, intellectual integrity, intellectual humility, intellectual empathy, intellectual courage, confidence in reason, and intellectual autonomy.

Aristotle analyzed virtues into moral andintellectual virtues (dianoetic virtues, the Greek aretai dianoetikai). In the Posterior Analytics and Nicomachean Ethics he identified five intellectual virtues - as the five ways the soul arrives at truth by affirmation or denial. He grouped them intothree classes:

• Theoretical:
  • Sophia - i.e. wisdom of the eternal and unchangeable, philosophical wisdom.
  • Episteme - i.e. scientific knowledge, empirical knowledge.
  • Nous - i.e. intuitive understanding.
• Practical:
  • Phronesis -i.e. practical wisdom/prudence.
• Productive:
  •  Techne - i.e. craft knowledge, art, skill.

Subjecent intellectual virtues in Aristotle:

• Euboulia. Deliberating well, deliberative excellence. Thinking properly about the right end.
•  Sunesis. Understanding, sagacity, consciousness of why something is as it is. - e.g the understanding you have of why a situation is as it is, prior to having phronesis - understanding of what to do about it -i.e what is the best action.
•  Gnome . Judgement and consideration. Virtue which allows people to make equitable or fair decisions.
• Deinotes. Cleverness. The ability to carry out actions so as to achieve a goal.