Prudence need not be dull

By Fr. C. C. Martindale,
S.J.
PRUDENCE, by Dr. Josef Pieper (Faber and Faber, 12s. 6d.).
THE English are not very intro
spective and do not care for analysing or cataloguing their qualities, good or bad. The Greeks freely discussed "virtues", and the legalist-minded Latins put four of these into a group and Christian theologians took them over, calling them "cardinal", or "hinge" virtues.
But. in this process, the theological meaning of words has become different from our day-today use of them, starting with "isharity" itself.
If we say, "Beprudent", we mean, probably, "Don't run risks!" If we say that so and so is a prudent man, we mean that he won't take leaps in the dark, that he will be "cautious"; and on the whole this reflects our dislike for extremes and our preference for the safe middle of the road-so that at times we feel that, if prudence is a virtue, it is the dullest of such adornments.
In harmony
RUT Dr. Pieper shows, first, that
he understands our general-and not only nationld-dislike for making lists of "virtues" and giving precedence of one over the rest, but, also, that he will not allow us to be duped by it. "Prudence", in the Christian sense, means making sure, so far as possible, that an Evian is right, in harmony, that is, with fact, with Truth.
But (see the admirable page 49) this is not to reduce the virtuous life to a heap of casuistic decisions cavil demanding our attention. This would mean an endless hesitation. The habit of prudence goes far to ensuring our acting quickly as God would have us act.
The translation of this difficult book, by Richard and Clara Winston, seems excellent; but is 12s 6d a high price for 79 pages, 15 of which are notee referring to obtrusive sources?