The Cardinal Virtues: Temperance
This a continuation of our articles on virtue. See part 1 & Prudence here. This article is based on Mortimer Adler’s writings on “Temperance” in The Great Ideas.
Definition of Temperance
Temperance, or moderation, is simply the appropriate use of pleasures and goods.
Similar virtues: Moderation
Associated Vices: Gluttony & Excess
Most of the great figures in history are people of passion, drive, limitless energy, and rarely moderation. This is not to say that these men of renown are undisciplined. They are frequently incredibly disciplined in some areas, yet, reckless and uncontrolled in others.
The mighty Achilles was renowned for his prowess on the battlefield, yes indulgent in his pride and arrogance, not to mention the apparent lack of any moderation from Agamemnon or Paris. Odysseus was famed for his cunning “like Zeus” yet he was unable to exhibit self-control when it came to vanity. Likewise, his men will fall prey to their desires, hunting the sacred cattle of Hellios, despite the repeated warnings. The examples of excess will be repeated throughout The Great Books, culminating with Dante and Virgil’s passing through the third circle of hell, where the gluttonous are trapped in icy mud, slaves to their earthly pleasures and desires.
History will outpace our literary traditions, with the figures of history, from Nero to Attila the Hun, who are unable to control their appetites and desires. For the student of history, we clearly see the consequences of a lack Temperance, manifested through gluttony and excess.
Throughout history, the great moralists have been unanimous in our necessity for self-control and moderation. There is hardly a single moral theory that is not rooted in controlling our base desires. The word Temperance is not always used in these conversations, but the idea is always there. The virtuous life is built on controlling our passions in order to develop our souls.
Temperance Throughout the Ages
Aristotle taught that the moral virtues were a balance between excess and defect. Being excessive in any part of our life would lead to the extreme, but not in a positive light. The very foundation of Aristotle’s morality was finding that balance. As an example, a man who is excessively courageous will foolishly attack without forethought, whereas a cowardly man is shameful. Moderation was the key to developing the virtuous life.
Augustine’s Confessions is a textbook on Temperance. Augustine expressed how his selfish desires separated himself from God. Only through self-control was he able to think past himself, to love someone other than himself, and enter into a relationship with the divine. This will be a motif throughout the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, especially the writings of Paul and the insistence on fasting as a spiritual and physical discipline.
Even the atheistic moralists confess that Temperance is necessary. Sigmund Freud said that a person dominated by pleasure is “infantile in character.” Like Aristotle before, Freud thought that only childish people life at the beck and call of appetite. Without self-control, the ego cannot grasp reality, as we simply live from one pleasure to the next.
Associated Vices
There are two primary vices associated with Temperance: Gluttony and Excess.
Gluttony is the overindulgence or pleasure, usually associated with food and alcohol.
Excess is the overindulgence of any pleasure or good, to the point of willful disregard of consequences.
Temperate Temperance
Temperance does not mean abstinence. Going back to the original definition from Aristotle, temperance was the moderation of goods, not the avoidance of it. But there must be a self-awareness of excess. If the individual cannot partake without excess, then they should not partake at all.
As Jesus would say in Matthew 5:29 “If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”
This verse does not mean we should all gouge out our eyes.
Taming your body through fasting must be moderated. It is good to be able to control your stomach, but at some point you must eat.
Some men can see a beautiful woman without giving into lust. But if they cannot, then they should avoid situations that would cause them to fall.
Similarly, many people can enjoy alcohol without excessive drunkenness. But they if they cannot, they should not drink.
As we can see, Temperance looks different for each of us, but there is also a communal nature to the virtue. Just because I do not struggle with alcohol does not mean that I should tempt someone that does. We have both an individual responsibility to not give into excess for the sake of others, as well as the communal responsibility to not tempt others in their own excess.
In conclusion, Temperance is the foundation of our moral life. Without self-control, we are like a small child, unable to see beyond our desires to the subsequent consequences. The inability to withstand temptation is at the heart of morality and the virtue that we are called to develop.