Why Be Virtuous? Why Practice Virtue at All?

The reason to be virtuous at all is to live a well-lived life. What constitutes a "well-lived life" or good life depends on what moral system a person follows, but more on that later.

'If that's the case, then why should I be virtuous instead of just following my pleasures wherever they may lead me?' - You, probably

The reason why you shouldn't pursue pleasure for pleasure's sake is that pleasure by itself does not last long. It does not bring real and long-lasting satisfaction to one's life.

Pleasure that is bound by virtue however, lasts long. Here are some examples.

Examples of pleasurable actions that are not virtuous:

• Buying services from prostitutes
• Engaging in gluttonous activities
• Gossiping
• Procastination
• Substance abuse
• etc.

Examples of pleasurable actions bound by virtue:

• Spending quality time with love ones
• Being generous to others
• Engaging in creative endeavors like painting
• Participating in fitness activities
• Pursuing knowledge of your interests
• etc.

Of course, what constitutes virtuous actions differs depending on the moral system you or your society adheres to.

Moral Systems

To truly understand the importance of virtues, we need to delve into the underlying principles that define what virtues are, why they matter, and how they should be practiced.

This is where the concept of moral systems becomes essential. Moral systems provide the context and framework within which virtues are understood, evaluated, and cultivated.

Moral Systems helps us by:

• Definining what is virtuous and its importance
• Offering philosophical, cultural and practical lenses to examine the nature of said vitues
• Providing ways to integrate virtue in our lives

In simple terms, moral systems are frameworks or sets of principles in making ethical decisions.

Side benefits of having a Moral System:

• A sense of belonging in the community
• Offer a basis for the legitimacy of laws and social institutions

In order fo you to give a clearer picture on what moral systems are, I have provided three examples of it

Examples of Moral Systems:

• Utilitarian: In this moral system, any action the increases overall happiness and reducess the suffering of the majority is considered virtuous.
• Religious Ethics: In this moral system, any action is considered right or virtuous if it aligns with the teachings of a particular religion.
• Confucian Ethics: This moral system is based on Confucian teachings. Any action is considered right or virtuous if it promotes harmony and fulfills one's roles and duties within society and family.

As you can see from the examples above, depending on what moral system a community is operating in, what constitutes as virtuous changes.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

If you ever caught yourself thinking "What's the point of me being virtuous? I won't get rewarded anyway.", then stop for a moment. Take a breather and remind yourself that virtue is not a transactional process.

Virtue is not something you do with the expectation to be rewarded, instead, it is a principle on how you operate your life.

If you live long enough, you are bound to meet or be introduced with bad men who have power.

Against this types of people, you need an at least an equal amount of power to at least defend yourself. More if you want to go against them.

This is why practing virtue is not enough, one must also accumulate power to fight against evil and preserve virtue.

Be as strong as you can be; be as knowledgeable as you can be; be as wealthy as you can be.

Why pursue power?

Because without power:

• You can not defend against evil.
• You can not fight against evil.

Why fight evil?

CONCLUSION

• What constitutes as something virtuous changes depending on what moral system a group or society is following.
• We do virtuous actions in order to have a life that we consider to be good.
• We can't rely on pleasure alone to have a good life, because pleasure without virtue brings no satisfaction. Pleasure without virtue does not last long.
• Virtue should not be transactional.
• You need strength and power to preserve virtue against evil.