While Aristotle’s golden mean suggests the virtuous or excellent character is simply the result of using reason well in all that we do, the Stoics — following Plato — home in on four virtues in particular:
- Wisdom. Understanding the world and successfully navigating its complexity.
- Courage. Standing up for what’s right.
- Justice. Treating others with respect and dignity.
- Temperance. Responding to situations appropriately, without excess or deficiency.
These four cardinal virtues were actually later incorporated into Christianity by the philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas, who added three more (hope, faith, and charity) to create the seven heavenly virtues, which stand in opposition to the seven deadly sins. They also feature in some form in virtually every other global religion.
Putting their lasting influence to one side, the four cardinal virtues should be thought of as the Stoic roadmap to the good life. If you can live up to them, then you will achieve the ultimate end in life, Stoics advise: eudaimonia (meaning happiness or flourishing).
Why? Because the four cardinal virtues represent the peak of rational human behavior: living up to them means living in perfect accordance with our rational natures.
In fact, Zeno, the ancient Greek founder of Stoicism, describes happiness (i.e. embodying the four cardinal virtues) as simply ‘living in agreement’ — agreement with ourselves, agreement with circumstances outside of our control, and agreement with the nature of the cosmos.