The Nature of True Virtue

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The Nature of True Virtue is a theological and philosophical treatise by Jonathan Edwards that explores the essence of genuine moral goodness as rooted in disinterested love to God and creation.


Statements (44)
Predicate Object
instanceOf book
philosophical treatise
theological treatise
arguesThat genuine moral goodness is rooted in disinterested love to God
self-love alone cannot be the foundation of true virtue
true virtue consists in benevolence to Being in general
author Jonathan Edwards
centuryWritten 18th century
claims created beings are to be loved in proportion to their relation to God
love to God is the foundation of all true virtue
contrastsWith natural virtue
selfish morality
countryOfOrigin Colonial America
defines true virtue as consent to Being in general
discusses private or particular affections
public or general benevolence
self-love
distinguishes true virtue from merely natural affections
emphasizes God’s glory as the ultimate end of virtue
disinterested benevolence
the difference between common morality and saving grace
focusesOn disinterested love to God
love to creation
true virtue
genre Christian devotional philosophy
religious ethics
hasPerspective theocentric ethics
hasReception considered a classic of American theological literature
studied in courses on Jonathan Edwards and Reformed theology
influenced American theology
Reformed ethics
later discussions of virtue ethics in Christian thought
influencedBy Christian Scripture
Reformed scholasticism
language English
mainTopic Christian theology
ethics
moral philosophy
philosophicalTradition Christian moral philosophy
positionOnMorality morality without reference to God is incomplete
positionOnVirtue virtue is ultimately grounded in God’s being
relatedWork The End for Which God Created the World
religiousPerspective Calvinism
theologicalTradition Reformed theology

Referenced by (1)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Jonathan Edwards
notableWork

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