Avoiding Bad Decisions through Prudence

As humans, we make bad decisions, which often result in actions that jeopardize the salvation of our souls. Fortunately, we can minimize the harmful outcomes of our decisions by paying closer attention to our actions[1]. They, however, need to be regulated by virtue; not by feelings, emotions, and instinct. They need to be regulated by the virtue of prudence. The following draws on the Thomistic-centered teachings of exorcist and theologian, Fr. Chad Ripperger, to discuss the virtue of prudence (as shown throughout the body of this article in italicized quotations[2]).

“St. Thomas defines prudence in two different ways but the two definitions convey the same meaning, viz. “the application of right reason to action” and “right reason of action.” Prudence is a virtue in the practical intellect as in the subject. Because it resides in reason, prudence perfects reason as to its operations in relation to practical matters. Since prudence deals with actions, i.e. practical matters, prudence helps the person to know what is to be done.”

In order to properly apply prudence to MUDSRFCC our daily lives, we need to include all of its eight integral parts, which include the sub-virtues of MUDSRFCC (acronym - easily remembered if pronounced “mudserfic”): Memory (Memoria), Understanding (Intellectus), Docility (Docilitas), Shrewdness (Solertia), Reason (Ratio), Foresight (Providentia), Circumspection (Circumspectio), and Caution (Cautio).

Memory (Memoria)

“The first integral part of prudence is memory. The virtue of memory is a cognitive integral part of prudence, in which one has knowledge of the past, since knowledge of the past is taken as proof of what could happen in the future. Experience is required to acquire memories and prudence requires many memories. The more memories one has, the more prudent one can be, since he will have more particulars from which to consider possible future outcomes of circumstances and actions. Since memories are required, young people do not have prudence, as a general rule, because they lack experience (memories) by which to judge what to do. Those children who have been baptized and are in the state of grace have infused prudence. However, even though they have the habit, they cannot act according to prudence due to lack of memory. Prudence is normally in the elderly, because of the process of aging they are more materially disposed toward clearer phantasms and they lack the motions of the passions. The elderly have more experience and therefore more memories from which to draw on. In fact, those who are inexperienced will often be overwhelmed by circumstances, since there can be an infinite number of circumstances and experience is necessary to know which circumstances effect the given course of action and which do not. Through experience[3], the infinite number of possible singulars are reduced to a finite number, since the person knows what happens in most cases.”[emphasis added]

Understanding (Intellectus)

“Understanding is a cognitive integral part of prudence and is sometimes known as intelligence (intelligentia). It is not to be misunderstood as the intellectual virtue of understanding, the connatural habit intellectus principiorum, nor the first act of the possible intellect of understanding. Rather, this is a practical virtue which gives a person knowledge of the present, either contingent or necessary. This virtue gives one the ability to grasp the current state of affairs as they are. It gives the person knowledge not just of universal principles in general, but of which universal principles apply in a given case. For this reason, St. Thomas says that understanding gives one a right estimation of a particular end and this means that, in a particular situation, the person grasps (understands) the nature of the situation and knows which end is to be achieved given the circumstances. He knows this end by applying universal knowledge to the concrete situation through understanding. The whole process of prudence is derived from understanding.

Understanding gives the person the ability to look at the situation, judge himself interiorly based upon his own personal past experience and then know for what end he must strive.”

Docility (Docilitas)

“Docility is a cognitive, integral part of prudence in which one acquires knowledge by learning from another. One man cannot know all the particulars which a person can encounter in life. So h needs to be taught by others, especially the elderly who have a healthy understanding about the ends of acts. Essentially, this virtue makes one receptive to learning from others. Those who can learn from the good acts and mistakes of others as well as from the general knowledge of others are more likely to act prudently. “

Shrewdness (Solertia)

“Shrewdness is a cognitive integral part of prudence, sometimes called eustochia. Shrewdness is a skill or quickness of mind in discovering something, especially the principle of a thing. Eustochia is “the capability or virtue of good conjecture or guessing in practical things.” Shrewdness is a quickness at finding or conjecturing about the means to the end.”

Reason (Ratio)

“Reason or reasoning is a cognitive integral part of prudence in which one proceeds from the knowledge he has to other knowledge or judgments. Sometimes called good reasoning, reason is the ability to apply universals to particulars well. “

Foresight (Providentia)

“Foresight is a perceptive, integral part of prudence by which one applies knowledge to action by ordering action to a suitable end. Foresight implies distance, i.e. the person with foresight is able to see how a given action will achieve a future end. It is a kind of prescience or foreknowledge in which a person can read the circumstances and know what would happen if various actions should be tried in those particular circumstances.”

Circumspection (Circumspectio)

“Circumspection is a perceptive, integral part of prudence in which one applies knowledge to action. Knowledge here concerns the circumstances of the action and so circumspection compares the end which one wants to achieve and the circumstances in which one finds oneself to see if the end fits the circumstances. For example, a child might need disciplining, but the public place in which a parent finds himself indicates that this is not the place where it should be done. “

Caution (Cautio)

“Caution is a perceptive, integral part of prudence by which one applies knowledge to action in order to avoid impediments and evils. Caution differs from providence because caution deals with evils and their avoidance, whereas providence deals with the good, i.e. achieving the end. St. Thomas says that caution is an adjunct to contrition and by this he means that when a person is sorry for his sin, he will be cautious in the future so that he can avoid the sin and not be sorry for more sin.”

Applying Prudence to any Circumstance

Prudence’s MUDSRFCC should be applied to all exterior and interior acts to avoid doing harm to our soul and that of others. For example, in Part 1 of “My Pagan and Catholic Roots against Leftism,” I use the role MUDSRFCC had in my mother’s conversion to Catholicism from paganism; In Part 2, I use it again in my decision to pay closer attention to the Old Rite of my Catholic Faith (especially the praying of the Traditional Latin Mass). We should apply it to all matters relating to morality and the Faith. Apply it to relationships, courtship, marriage, vocations, wide range of politics, academics, what to read and watch, how to dress, and so on.

Since young people are constantly exposed to today’s prevalent Leftist ideologies relating to race, gender, and class, it would behoove them to apply MUDRFCC to determine whether to support such ideas. In essence, it is a key to protecting oneself from secular and theological Leftism.

So next time you find yourself in need of clarity while surfing life’s muddy waters, think how “muds?rfic” it would be to make the right decision.

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NOTES:

[1] “Actions” here is taken in the moral sense, i.e. they may be exterior acts (such as throwing a baseball) or interior acts (such as thinking and willing).

[2] Source: “Introduction to the Science of Mental Health,” Fr. Chad Ripperer, P.hD. ISBN 9780615815398, Imprimatur: Most Reverend Fabian W. Bruskewitz, Bishop of Lincoln, ND 3/13/07

[3] Not just any kind of experience, but the right kind of experience. If one is always around others who make wrong decisions and one never learns the proper outcome for which one should strive, he will not have the right experiences by which he can judge properly.