Is there a time where speculation can be practical?

[fakename]

A prudence question: is speculation practical? Is it practical all the time or sometimes?

What relation does speculation or the intellectual virtues have with prudence?

Does the world’s nature imply that one should know or try to know every possible thing to be fully prudent? I think it does since if it didn’t then one could be fully prudent by learning only a subset of everything. But prudence is virtue so one could be fully virtuous and yet only God can be fully good. So I don’t think that prudence implies just attainable knowledge but also unattainable and infinite knowledge. And this knowledge is synonymous with knowledge of all possible things.

 

[John_Russell_Jr]

A prudence question: is speculation practical? Is it practical all the time or sometimes?

What relation does speculation or the intellectual virtues have with prudence?

Does the world’s nature imply that one should know or try to know every possible thing to be fully prudent? I think it does since if it didn’t then one could be fully prudent by learning only a subset of everything. But prudence is virtue so one could be fully virtuous and yet only God can be fully good. So I don’t think that prudence implies just attainable knowledge but also unattainable and infinite knowledge. And this knowledge is synonymous with knowledge of all possible things.

… my dear friend ,

… good topic , my thoughts : it depends on the knowledge eg the forbidden knowledge of good and evil was given to us by satan and cannot be trusted , in reality it is not real and is just in mans head and his world now too i know , god made man and his wotld good and / or evil for various reasons when he soight this knowledge , not all knowledge is good or trustworthy , and man cannot have knowledge of evil as this destroys him , knowledge of good breeds knowledge of evil automatically — knowledge of love is meant to be our lot and love destroys evil always – a better choice i thinks , the more he knows about evil the more adversely it affects him …

… it is impossible for man to avquire all knowledge , this is made more so by the fact mans fallen mind has lost the preternatural gifts and is virtually completely wrecked now , we see the fruits of man unable to solve one single problem perfectly , completely and permanently in our world – an utter chaotic mess out of control and none know what to do or how to fix it in reality …

… there are many types of knowledge , and the greatest knowledge = love , all q’s should ultimately conclude just " love " when taken to the empth for there ultimate conclusion , this is because god is everything or is in everything in all and many ways , and god = love , and so everything = love , so a true search for knowledge = a search for love , food for thought …

… knowlege on its own is useless though , without the needed understanding and appreciation it is of no use , and these have almost been completely lost and the little fallen man has left is very chaotic and messy , hence fallen man can’t even solve one single problem ,bvut he can and shouyld try , and do his best , whilst understanding and appreciating the problems of this fallen man and world dillemmma , man must know his limitations …

… the preternatural gifts can be partially regained by strinving for sanctity and you can get more and more back the greater the saint you become – all is not completely lost , and the a to all is just " love " when properly and fully understood in my opine dear friend …

… may god bless and love you ,

… john …

 

[Spirithound]

A prudence question: is speculation practical? Is it practical all the time or sometimes?

What relation does speculation or the intellectual virtues have with prudence?

Does the world’s nature imply that one should know or try to know every possible thing to be fully prudent? I think it does since if it didn’t then one could be fully prudent by learning only a subset of everything. But prudence is virtue so one could be fully virtuous and yet only God can be fully good. So I don’t think that prudence implies just attainable knowledge but also unattainable and infinite knowledge. And this knowledge is synonymous with knowledge of all possible things.

It seems to me that the process of becoming fully prudent would preclude any practical activity. And that would not be prudent.

 

[fakename]

True, but then wouldn’t our quest for prudence and virtue itself be contradictory? If we can’t be virtuous then we are not wise men for desiring something that is beyond our capacities. If it is imprudent to attain prudence, then it would be prudent to not want prudence -so we find prudence to be both important and not important at the same time.

I think that it is in fact, rational to want virtue or perfection, but it is rational only in so far as we can count on God’s help to gain it. Trust in God is the only prudent way to gain prudence IMO.

Is this a good enough solution?

 

[Spirithound]

True, but then wouldn’t our quest for prudence and virtue itself be contradictory? If we can’t be virtuous then we are not wise men for desiring something that is beyond our capacities. If it is imprudent to attain prudence, then it would be prudent to not want prudence -so we find prudence to be both important and not important at the same time.

I think that it is in fact, rational to want virtue or perfection, but it is rational only in so far as we can count on God’s help to gain it. Trust in God is the only prudent way to gain prudence IMO.

Is this a good enough solution?

Trusting is God is really the best way to get anywhere, however, there is a more intellectual solution to our problem. The quest for prudence and virtue are not contradictory, as it would be if prudence were to be observed in the extreme, because according to St. Thomas Aquinas, a virtue must always be in the mean of two vices. newadvent.org/summa/2064.htm
So it seems to be better to say that prudence is good, but you must also get out there and do stuff.