Question I: What prudence is

THE name of prudence is taken in various ways, as St. Bonaventure teaches, book 5 of the Compendium of Theology, chapter 34, in the Dieta, title 5, chapter 5, and in the opuscule On the four Cardinal virtues, and On the seven Journeys, Journey 7, distinction 5, and in the Pharetra, book 2, chapter 27.

First, indeed, it signifies any knowledge of truth acquired by human study; thus it is taken by St. Ambrose, book 1 on offices, chapter 24, by Tully, book 1 on offices and book 2 on Invention, cited by St. Bonaventure, in the Pharetra and part 3 of the Centiloquium, section 41, and sermon 6 of the Hexaëmeron.

SECOND, it signifies only practical knowledge of things that ought to be sought or repudiated. Thus St. Augustine takes it, book 1 on free choice, chapter 13, and book 83 questions, question 31: that Prudence is the science of things to be sought and avoided: thus it is taken also by the Holy Doctor, in the Pharetra, and by St. Isidore, in the Etymologies, book 10, under the word Prudentia: The prudent man is so called, as it were one seeing far ahead; for he is perspicacious, and foresees the chances of uncertain things. Whence in Greek it is φρόνησις. And in this way it is taken by the Holy Doctor, in the Exposition of the Terms of Theology, and in the Centiloquium, loc. cit., and by St. Gregory. But neither is this proper Prudence, which ought both to know and to provide.

THIRD, Prudence is taken for all the faculties of the practical intellect that contribute, or are even necessary, to rightly instituting the actions of human life. Thus it is frequently taken by the Philosopher, book 6 of the Ethics, chapters 5, 10 and 11.

FOURTH, Prudence, in the most proper sense, names a certain faculty of the practical intellect for rightly determining what is to be done in any particular act.

Furthermore, Aristotle defines this Prudence, book 6 of the Ethics, chapter 5: Prudence is a habit of the intellect, active with true reason, concerning those things which are good and bad for man.

The same St. Doctor wills, in On the seven Journeys, Journey 7, distinction 5, defining: Prudence is to direct all things according to the norm of reason.

And in the opuscule On the four Cardinal virtues: Prudence is the discernment of good things and bad, both with the flight of evil and the choice of good: from which proceed circumspection, docility, and caution. Circumspection is the wariness of contrary vices, by which we flee avarice and guard against prodigality, etc. Docility is the power of teaching, in this order, that you first instruct yourself, and afterward others. Caution is the prudence of discerning vices that bear the appearance of virtues.

To this is referred also the definition of Macrobius, book 1 on the dream of Scipio: Prudence is to direct all things, which it considers, whatever it does, according to the norm of reason, and to will or do nothing besides what is right. Thus St. Bonaventure, book 6 of the Compendium of Theology, chapter 34.

It is defined also by Tully, On the repose of the mind: Prudence is the science of good things and bad, with the love of one or the other and the detestation of the rest: cited by St. Bonaventure, part 3 of the Centiloquium, section 41.

SIMILAR is the definition of St. Augustine, On the morals of the Church, book 1, chapter 15, cited by St. Bonaventure, loc. cit. of the Centiloquium: Prudence is love, sagaciously discerning those things by which it is aided toward God from those by which it is hindered. And book 83 questions, 52, he defines: It is the knowledge of things to be sought and fled.

He DESCRIBES, moreover, Prudence as it is a purgatorial virtue, from Macrobius, book 1 on the dream of Scipio: Prudence is to despise this world, and all things that are in the world, through the contemplation of divine things, and to direct all the knowledge of the soul to the divine alone. But Prudence, as it is the virtue of a purified mind, is defined: It is to know the divine alone, and to gaze upon it as if nothing else existed. Thus it is defined in book 5 of the Compendium of Theology, chapter 34, and in the opuscule On the four Cardinal virtues, and elsewhere.