- For other uses, see Vice
(disambiguation).
Vice is the opposite of virtue. The modern English term that best captures its original meaning is the word
vicious, which means "full of vice." In this sense, the word vice comes from the Latin word vitium, meaning "failing or defect".
Vice and virtue
One way of organising the vices is as the corruption of the virtues. A virtue can be corrupted by nonuse, misuse, or overuse.
Thus the cardinal vices would be apostasy (nonuse of piety), lust (nonuse of temperance), cowardice (nonuse of courage), folly (misuse of an virtue, opposite of wisdom), Effeminacy (soft, unmanliness) and venality (nonuse of
justice).
The Christian vices
The Christian vices would be blasphemy (faith betrayed), unforgiveness (hope betrayed), and indifference (scripturally, a "hardened heart"), the betrayal of
perfect love: charity.
Harmony of vices
Since virtues might be said to harmonize, so that every virtue requires all the virtues to some extent, vices also might be
said to harmonize; i.e. every vice requires other vices to some extent. If this is the case, the presence of one vice in an
individual might be evidence of others.
Popular usage
The term vice is also popularly applied to various activities considered immoral by some; a list of these might include the use of alcohol and other recreational
drugs, sexual promiscuity, gambling, recklessness, cheating, lying, and selfishness.
References
See also
Bibliography
- Virtues and Vices, Aristotle, trans. H. Rackman, Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA,
l992. Vol #285.
Sources
All etymologies according to the Oxford English Dictionary.
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