Civic

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Civic Virtue
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What is Civic Virtue?
Definition Morality or standard of righteous
behavior in relationship to a citizens
involvement in society.
How can a person exhibit civic virtue?

• Voting
• Volunteering
• Attending a PTA meeting

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Historic Roots

• Greek word for virtue is arete, which means
  excellence.
• Aristotle
• Humans take pleasure in virtue
• Virtue is the way that humans achieve their
  greatest happiness
• Humans must know about these virtues before they
  can hope to better the community
• Well brought up people are easier to teach
  virtues to. Meaning that education of virtue,
  civil and moral, must being at home.

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St. Thomas Aquinas

• Nicomachean Ethics
• Highest good comes from God.
• The difference between civic virtues seeking
  political good and spiritual virtues is that they
  are obtained from God.

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Importance

• Helps people understand their ties to the
  community and their responsibilities.
• Public good.
• Moral and underpinning of how a citizen relates
  to society. Without the understanding of civic
  virtue, citizens are less likely to look beyond
  their own families, friends, and economic
  interests.

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Key Related Ideas

• Citizenship the quality of an individual's
  response to membership in a community
• Philanthropy active effort to promote human
  welfare
• Stewardship the careful and responsible
  management of something entrusted to ones care
• Voluntarism a theory that conceives will to be
  the dominant factor in experience or in the world.

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Letter from St. Thomas

• Dear Cathedral Students,
• I would like to take the time to congratulate
  you on your exquisite philanthropic work through
  your high school. I firmly believe that man needs
  Divine help, to know the way God wants us to
  live. You should go out in the world and
  participate in the community by voting,
  volunteering and attending service meetings. If
  you actually participate in these events, I know
  that you will become happier in life. Many people
  through civic virtue have had a stronger bond
  with God. People in your neighborhoods need to
  take part in activities outside their homes and
  help others, rather than stay home and think of
  themselves. If you have the determination and
  will to find out more about God and your faith,
  you will be enlightened in your journey toward
  civic virtue.
• Yours truly,
• St. Thomas Aquinas