History Main / VirtueViceCodification

* In Chaosium's ''Pendragon'', traits included Chaste/Lustful, Energetic, Forgiving, Generous, Honest, Just, Merciful, Modest/Proud, Pious/Worldly, Prudent/Reckless, Temperate/Indulgent, Trusting and Valorous. Some of the traits were considered virtues by specific cultures:

** Possibly in reference to ''Literature/AnneOfGreenGables'' (below), the Carter family in Lancre named their daughters after virtues they failed to live up to, including Charity (a miser), Hope (a depressive) and Chastity (currently making good money as a lady of the night). Out of misguided adherence to the theme, their sons were named after various vices they also failed to live up (down?) to. Anger Carter is a very gentle fellow, while Bestiality Carter is known for being very kind and respectful with animals.

** In ''[[VideoGame/UltimaVIIPartII Ultima VII part 2: Serpent Isle]]'', the (now extinct and vanished, respectively) followers of Chaos and Order each had a set of virtues: Tolerance, Enthusiasm and Emotion for Chaos, and Ethicality, Discipline and Logic for Order. Interestingly, these are not considered opposites to each other, but instead complement each other in Balance, which is considered optimal. (Logic and Emotion creates Rationality, etc, making the virtues of Balance.) Conversely, embracing one while rejecting the other causes imbalance and becomes "anti-virtues", or Banes: Emotion without Logic is Insanity, and Discipline without Enthusiasm becomes Apathy.
** ''Ultima VI'' introduces two other virtue models: the Gargish virtues of Direction, Feeling, Persistence, Balance, Achievement, Precision, Order and Singularity, based on the Principles of Control, Passion, and Diligence; and Mandrake the Gypsy King's principles of Drunkenness, Sensuality, Harmony, Lust, Laziness, Dance, Indulgence and Happiness, based on the Principles of Wine, Women and Song. While the latter is very much tongue-in-cheek, it nonetheless maintains the same structure as the original virtues.

* The Seven Cardinal Virtues of a DeMolay: Filial Love, Respect for Sacred Things, Courtesy, Comradeship, Fidelity, Cleaness, and Patriotism.

** In Mishnah Sotah 9:15, Rabbi Pinhas ben Yair lists the following virtues, the cultivation of each one leading in turn to the next: heedfulness, cleanliness, purity, abstinence, holiness, humility, shunning of sin, and saintliness.[[hottip:*:The end result of cultivating all these is the gift of divine inspiration ("the holy spirit"), which in turn brings about the future resurrection of the dead.]]

* Parodied in Bally's ''Pinball/DrDude''with the Elements of Coolness: a Magnetic Personality, the Heart of Rock 'n Roll, and the Gift of Gab. The player must get three samples of each to enable multiball.

** In ''[[VideoGame/UltimaVIIPartII Ultima VII part 2: Serpent Isle]]'', the (now extinct and vanished, respectively) followers of Chaos and Order each had a set of virtues: Tolerance, Enthusiasm and Emotion for Chaos, and Ethicality, Discipline and Logic for Order. Interestingly, these are not considered opposites to each other, but instead complement each other in Balance, which is considered optimal. (Logic and Emotion creates Rationality, etc, making the virtues of Balance.) Conversely, embracing one while rejecting the other causes imbalance and becomes "anti-virtues": Emotion without Logic is Insanity, and Discipline without Enthusiasm becomes Apathy.

* ''LegendsOfTheWulin'' has some mechanics revolving the ''Xia'' (Chivalrous) and Selfish virtues. The Xia virtues are ''Kuan'' (Benevolence), ''Ba'' (Force), ''Xin'' (Honor), ''Zhong'' (Loyalty), and ''Yi'' (Righteousness), while the Selfish virtues are ''Bao'' (Ferocity), ''Si'' (Individualism), ''Chan'' (Obsession), ''Chou'' (Revenge), and ''Hen'' (Ruthlessness).

For virtues commonly found in unsympathetic characters, see EvilVirtues. For the narrative pattern where virtues or vices are allegorically associated with characters or other in-story entities, see EmbodimentOfVirtue and EmbodimentOfVice, respectively.

When featured in video or tabletop games, virtue systems often takes the form of [[KarmaMeter scorekeeping scales]] that represent a protagonist's prowess in a certain virtue. The player's actions in the game will add to or subtract from the player's virtue scores. These scores themselves may be anywhere from fully visible to completely hidden to the player, but they are sure to have some kind of effect on the gameplay. Sometimes they affect whether [[NonPlayerCharacter NPCs]] react positively or negatively towards the PlayerCharacter, for instance. Character trackers of this kind are particularly common in computer-based role-playing games, especially of [[WesternRPG western origin]].

It can be argued that virtues belong to one or more of three broader categories: utilitarian virtues, social virtues and moral virtues.

* Utilitarian virtues are virtues that increase personal ability to interact with the world in order to further one's personal or collective goals. Examples include courage and diligence. Due to the fact that these virtues do not necessarily deal with morality directly, they may be EvilVirtues. These are the virtues that work together to form ''effectuality''.
* Social virtues are virtues that help people get along with one another harmoniously. Examples include friendliness and trust. As with utilitarian virtues, these may be EvilVirtues, since purely social virtues may come to overshadow moral ones. These virtues work together to form ''harmony''.
* Moral virtues are virtues that seem to carry some sort of (often subjective) intrinsic moral value, even when the aforementioned two dimensions are not considered. Examples include honesty and respect. The most controversial virtues often fall within this category, due to the intrinsic subjectivity of morality. These are the virtues that work together to form ''goodness''.

A virtue need not carry connotations in only one of these dimensions. For example, the virtue of respect can at the same time be regarded as a social and a moral virtue, while the virtue of mirth can be regarded as dealing with all three.

Some gender theorists, notably Mary Wollstonecraft, have argued that the leading cause of [[DoubleStandard sexism]] is the traditional emphasis on [[MenActWomenAre utilitarian virtues for males, and social virtues for females]]. This creates a deep identity schism, leading to all sorts of [[GenderDynamicsIndex unsubstantiated prejudices about both genders]].

Below follows a list of virtues that have been identified in various works throughout history. As the list is fairly long, it has been broken down into categories based on which of the three dimensions mentioned above the virtues seem to deal with.

Sometimes a few links are listed after a virtue definition. These point to public works that someone thought give a particular good and concise example or illustration of this virtue.

The list is available as a venn diagram [[https://www.lucidchart.com/publicSegments/view/514c5cdd-3da0-4b36-b47a-03980a000cd9/image.png here]].

[[folder:Primarily utilitarian virtues]]
* Courage. Synonymous with valor. The ability to overcome fear by channeling it in a constructive direction. Opposite of cowardice.
* Determination. Strength of conviction. The ability to hold fast to one's convictions even in the face of adversity. Opposite of irresolution. Suitably tempered with open-minded rationality.
* Diligence. The strength to not give up or fail when facing hardship. Rough opposite of defeatism.
* Discipline. The ability to set aside emotional impulses in the interests of furthering one's goals. Opposite of impulsivity.
* Fortitude. Closely related to strength, but with a more mental emphasis. The strength of maintaining integrity in the face of adversity. Opposite of frailty.
* Frugality. Closely related to chastity, but more economical in focus. The ability of householding one's worldly assets with wisdom and temperance. Opposite of lavishness.
* Orderliness. The ability to arrange one's circumstances in an organized manner in the interests of efficiency. Opposite of confusion or disorganization.
* Resourcefulness. The ability to come up with creative solutions to problems by "thinking outside of the box". Opposite of hideboundness.
* Strength. Closely related to fortitude, but with a more physical emphasis. The ability to retain one's motivation in the face of hardship. This includes but is not limited to physical strength. Opposite of weakness.
* Tenacity. Basically synonymous with diligence, with slightly more emphasis on the long term. Rough opposite of defeatism.
* Valor. Synonymous with courage. Opposite of cowardice.
* Vigilance. The habit of keeping alert for external threats towards one's interests. As a virtue, slightly controversial since it can easily turn into [[TheIndexIsWatchingYou paranoia]] if unchecked, leading to needless social tension. Opposite of heedlessness.

[[folder:Primarily social virtues]]
* Beauty. The aspiration to uphold and express a sense of aesthetics through one's person and environs. As a virtue, should be interpreted in a much wider sense than merely [[TheBeautifulTropes personal comeliness]]. Rather controversial partially due to the subjective nature of beauty, but it is hard to argue that there is anything wrong with ''trying'' to attain beauty, as long as it does not interfere with [[TrueBeautyIsOnTheInside more morally relevant interests]], as EvilVirtues might. Ties in closely with creativity. Opposite of homeliness. All forms of etiquette are included in the domain of this virtue, except modesty (see below). Also includes courteousness, being a form of etiquette.
* Creativity. The ability to convey one's emotions through artistic expression. Ties in closely with beauty. Opposite of insipidity.
* Modesty. The inclination and ability to suppress impulses to emphasize one's strengths in social contexts. Opposite of boisterousness.

[[folder:Primarily moral virtues]]
* Autonomy. The principle of acting out of one's own moral convictions, rather than out of simple obedience to external authority. This is necessary for moral accountability. Simply acting on the whim of an external authority has been a classic way to escape responsibility and accountability for one's actions. Autonomy needs to be tempered with virtues pertaining to the collective like duty, loyalty and fidelity, but since the definition entails acting in accordance with one's moral views, as long as these values are part of one's personal ethical code, there is no contradiction. Loyalty can be evoked from autonomy as easily as from its opposite. Opposite of [[BlindObedience servility]].
* Mercy. The drive, motivated by sympathy and/or piety, to abstain from inflicting harm on other sentient beings. Opposite of mercilessness.
* Reverence. The ability to relate to things as having more than only their worldly face value. At first this might seem controversial, but ethics is not really possible without it. Purely moral principles, like mercy, have very little worldly face value. Opposite of irreverence.

[[folder:Utilitarian/social virtues]]
* Ambition. The motivation to strive towards one's goals. This may in turn be motivated by personal satisfaction, societal glory or material gain. The version that is motivated exclusively by the last of these is a classic [[EvilVirtues Evil Virtue]], see AmbitionIsEvil. Opposite of lethargy.
* Chastity. These days often misread to only mean sexual abstinence (see EthicalSlut for some thoughts on the fallacies of regarding this as a virtue), this virtue is more accurately interpreted as synonymous with temperance and self-control. It is the ability to exercise and express one's desires with constraint, weighing in the consequences of one's actions all the while. Opposite of wantonness.
* Cheer. Closely related to mirth, this virtue has a slightly more introverted emphasis. Also closely related to hope, on which it usually depends. May seem oddly placed in a listing of virtues since the classical view is that we can do little to affect our emotional outlook. Once we realize that optimism and pessimism are largely a matter of perspective however, it becomes more relevant. It is the ability and will to recover from negative outlooks in order to retain one's integrity. Opposite of cheerlessness.
* Flexibility. Closely related to open-mindedness. The willingness to change one's habits once convinced of their futility. Opposite of stubbornness.
* Hope. The ability to retain a sense of purpose through a sense that one's situation can be improved. Opposite of despair.
* Industriousness. The practice of engaging in activities that further personal and collective goals in a constructive fashion. Opposite of passivity.
* Joy. Synonymous with cheer. Opposite of cheerlessness.
* Open-mindedness. Closely related to flexibility. The willingness to let go of one's convictions or views when confronted with greater evidence against them. Opposite of bullheadedness or close-mindedness.
* Rationality. The ability to apply principles of logic and scientific methodology to problems. May at first seem to be at odds with virtues like faith, but they concern completely discrete domains of speculation. While rationality deals with the realm of observable phenomena, i.e the empirical world, faith deals with anything that lies outside this domain, like philosophy. It is not possible to prove a philosophy, it is only possible to believe in it. Opposite of irrationality.
* Self-control. See chastity. Opposite of wantonness.
* Sobriety. Like chastity, this virtue carries modern misleading connotations. As a virtue, it is synonymous with temperance and self-control, like chastity. Opposite of wantonness.
* Solidarity. The insight that one can accomplish much more in union with others with whom interests are shared than alone, through the means of organization and co-operation. Opposite of [[IneffectualLoner self-sufficiency]]. ([[http://www.facebook.com/apeaceofconflict/posts/434220453312926]])
* Temperance. Synonymous with chastity (in the original, non-sexual sense, see the definition above). Opposite of wantonness.

[[folder:Social/moral virtues]]
* Charity. Synonymous with generosity. The will to give of oneself and one's own property to help satisfy the greater need of another. Opposite of stinginess (in the specific sense unwillingness to give). Worth noting is that [[{{Greed}} greed]] is ''not'' an exact opposite of this virtue. The opposite of greed would rather be the satisfaction to lead one's own life with a minimum of personal property. This has seldom been called out as a virtue in western culture, for some reason.
* Compassion. The ability to sympathize emotionally and relate to another's ordeal. Presupposes empathy, but the inverse does not apply. Opposite of indifference.
* Fairness. A sense of personal justice. The practice of adjusting one's reciprocal treatment of others in response to their behaviour toward oneself and others. Also entails impartiality, see that virtue. Opposite of unfairness.
* Fidelity. The habit of staying true to one's previously expressed intention. This particularly includes holding one's vows and promises, but also entails striving to hold true to one's word even when no vow or promise has been made. Opposite of perfidy. The word "fidelity" today sadly carries fallacious religious connotations that are not relevant here. In this context, definition #1 as listed [[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fidelity here (when viewed in a desktop browser)]] is the relevant one, although it needs to be emphasized that fidelity certainly not presupposes servility.
* {{Forgiveness}}. The capacity to relate to the flaws of others with empathy, and forego any punitive action or attitude out of this understanding. Opposite of [[{{Revenge}} vengefulness]].
* Friendliness. The practice of seeking joyful harmonious relations with others. Opposite of aloofness.
* Generosity. See charity. Opposite of stinginess (in the specific sense unwillingness to give).
* Impartiality. The abstinence from giving arbitrary preference to one person's or group's interests over another's. Opposite of partiality. Combined with the principle of kindness, can be said to form the foundation of the ethical school of philosophy called {{Utilitarianism}} (not to be confused with "utilitarian virtues" as defined in this article, no correlation exists between the two).
* Helpfulness. Roughly synonymous with charity and generosity, with slight emphasis on immaterial aid. Opposite of unhelpfulness.
* Honesty. The inclination to share one's sincerely held views, with particular unwillingness to deceive. Opposite of duplicity,
* Kindness. The habit of striving to heighten the well-being of others. Also implies mercy, and a degree of charity. Opposite of cruelty. Combined with the principle of impartiality, can be said to form the foundation of the ethical school of philosophy called {{Utilitarianism}} (not to be confused with "utilitarian virtues" as defined in this article, no correlation exists between the two).
* [[UndyingLoyalty Loyalty]]. The principle of guarding the interests of those with whom bonds of trust, affection or camaraderie have been formed. Opposite of fickleness or illoyalty.
* Peace(fulness). The desire and ability to suppress or channel into their opposite feelings of anger, hatred, alienation and fear. Opposite of harriedness.
* Respect. The principle of not encroaching on another's personal freedom or dignity. Opposite of disrespectfulness.
* Reciprocity. Basically synonymous with fairness, but without the emphasis on impartiality. Opposite of irreciprocity.
* Selflessness. The capacity to regard the interests of others as not fundamentally subordinated to one's own for any arbitrary reason. Opposite of selfishness.
* Self-sacrifice. The capacity to make personal sacrifices in the name of one's moral convictions. Opposite of self-indulgence.
* Steadfastness. Synonymous with fidelity. Opposite of perfidy.
* Tolerance. The principle of reserving judgement until truly certain it is due. Opposite of [[PrejudiceTropes prejudice]].
* [[PowerOfTrust Trust]]. Suffers a strained relationship with vigilance. The inclination to allow strangers the benefit of the doubt rather than assuming the worst about them without due cause. Also denotes having faith in the abilities and intentions of friends and allies. Opposite of mistrust, which in many ways is similar to [[TheIndexIsWatchingYou paranoia]] (see vigilance).
* Trustworthiness. The principle of safeguarding the trust placed in oneself by others. Opposite of [[InTheBack treacherousness]].
* Understanding. The capacity to relate to the views of others with empathy. Acknowledging the similitude between oneself and others. Opposite of judgmentality.

[[folder:Utilitarian/moral virtues]]
* Passion. Deep caring. The capacity and inclination to cultivate deep and vivacious emotions. Best tempered with discipline and chastity (non-sexual, see definition above). Opposite of apathy.
* Purpose. Forming and maintaining a personal goal, or adopting and maintaining a collective one. Opposite of disorientation or fecklessness.

[[folder:Utilitarian/social/moral virtues]]
* [[ThePowerOfFriendship Camaraderie]]. The willingness to form social bonds based on affection and habit of facing joy and hardship together with friends rather than alone. Needs to be tempered with independence, see below. Opposite of severance.
* Duty. A sense of obligation to those with whom bonds of trust and loyalty have been formed. Closely related to loyalty, but also includes an element of industriousness in the name of the collective. Opposite of negligence.
* Humility. A realistic view of one's own limitations and place in the world, while at the same time possessing a true sense of one's own worth. This need not imply acceptance, unless one truly knows that one's lot cannot be changed. Opposite of [[{{Pride}} pride]] or arrogance, both of which denote having an inflated sense of self-worth. Can also be regarded to be at odds with meekness, which is having a deflated sense of the same. A "golden mean" virtue.
* Independence. The abstinence from relying on others for the solution of problems that are more prudently dealt with by oneself in solitude. Opposite of dependency. Can be viewed as synonymous with self-sufficiency but that also carries problematic negative connotations, see solidarity.
* Mirth. Closely related to cheer but includes an element of sharing of one's joy through laughter or playful activity. Often follows cheer naturally and without further effort. Can also be simulated even when down in order to safeguard the cheer of others. Finding cheer for oneself is of course the preferred route to expressing mirth, however, since simulation of emotions in the long run is both exhausting and insincere. Opposite of glumness. ([[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNrXMOSkBas]])
* Patience. The acceptance of the fact that things, including understanding, takes time, and the ability to suppress negative reactions that arise when the wait takes longer than initially expected. At first may seem trivial in a list of virtues, but it is truly of profound weight in order to avoid needless social tensions. And, as is well known, social tensions have a way of [[ThisMeansWar snowballing...]] Opposite of impatience.
* Prudence. The practical wisdom to distinguish between constructive and non-constructive action. Opposite of recklessness.
* Responsibility. Can in one sense be regarded as a synonym of duty. In another, it means having prudently analyzed the possible consequences of one's actions beforehand, weighing them into the decision. Also implies not shying from one's own responsibility for said consequences when they happen. Opposite of irresponsibility.
* Sincerity. Closely related to honesty. The drive to fully acknowledge one's deeper motivations, and not hiding them from trusted others. May lead one from a destructive path to a constructive one, hence the utilitarian implication. Opposite of delusionality. ([[http://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/fear-of-death]])

[[folder:Vaguely defined, self-implied or very controversial virtues]]
* Benevolence. If regarded as a virtue, it would be a virtue that simply instructs us to be good. Not only is this self-implied, but it undermines the point of defining morality in terms of virtue in the first place.
* Chivalry. A broad, somewhat loosely defined virtue roughly consisting of a combination of courage, duty, self-sacrifice and courteousness (which can be regarded as a brand of beauty). Overall too complex to be rhetorically or pedagogically useful as a virtue. Can be used in storytelling for narrative colour, though.
* Faith. The inclination to form opinions or beliefs about the non-empirical domains of existence. When faith encroaches on empirical domains that have been scientifically explored, however, it is no longer faith in its uncorrupted sense, but rather irrationality. Listed as highly controversial because conclusions about non-empirical matters are intrinsically subjective and usually very insecurely founded, and many believe that there is no intrinsic moral value in believing in doctrines that cannot be proved. There is a problem however in the fact that morality in itself is a subjective value that is extremely hard to anchor down with empirical evidence. See reverence, which has similarities, but is more narrow in focus.
* Honor. This virtue is often included in virtue-ethical systems, but very rarely elaborated on in detail. It appears to be a form of aggregation of duty, loyalty and responsibility, with a slight emphasis on the societal glory that rewards these virtues. Like chivalry, problematic when used outside of storytelling due to its complexity. Also carries some problematic connotations pertaining to reputability.
* Integrity. The state and quality of holding fast to one's moral beliefs. Self-implied. This is a virtue that simply tells us to be virtuous. Can turn into non-constructive willfulness if not tempered with flexibility, a willingness to compromise.
* Love. Another [[TheFourLoves complex concept]]. Best dealt with by looking at the separate aspects individually.
** Storge. Familial affection. Closely related to loyalty and duty, but of course with added emotional implications. It is hard to ascribe any intrinsic moral value to this affection without violating the virtue of impartiality, however, since we do not normally choose our family, nation, etc.
** Phileo. Friendship. The affection implied here is more morally relevant, since we may actively seek the friendship of those who we deem worthy of it. This is basically a combination of camaraderie and reciprocity.
** Eros. Romantic affection. Somewhat relevant in relation to the virtue of passion (allowing oneself strong feelings) but otherwise not morally relevant, for the same reason as storge. A classic [[EvilVirtues Evil Virtue]], see LoveMakesYouEvil.
** Agape. Unconditional love. A feeling of connectedness with and sympathy for all living things. Very morally relevant, as some would argue that it is the foundation of all morality. As such, it is much too all-encompassing to be rhetorically useful as a virtue, however. Particularly closely related to compassion, especially when in synergy with impartiality.
* [[BlindObedience Obedience]]. The unswerving dutifulness to political or familial authority. Deeply problematic for reasons that should be obvious to anyone who has studied any contemporary history whatsoever. History is ripe with examples of mass slaughter (wars included) and other crimes against humanity resulting simply from people being obedient to an immoral authority. Obedience ceases to be good the moment the authority toward whom it is exercised ceases to be so.
* Patriotism. See the subtype storge of love above. Nationality has many similarities to familial bond. While a measure of loyalty is certainly called for, bringing this too far will invariably infringe on the virtue of impartiality. See loyalty for the not-necessarily-partial equivalent.
* Piety. Basically a combination of faith and integrity. See these respective "virtues" for the individual reasons why each one is problematic.
* Rectitude. Synonymous with integrity. Self-implied.
* Righteousness. Synonymous with integrity. Self-implied.
* Spirituality. This falls somewhere between reverence and faith in the depth of its implications. It implies deep reverence for certain immaterial phenomena (morality, for example), but does not place as heavy emphasis on arbitrary belief as faith. Still suffers from some of the same controversies as that virtue, however.
* Wisdom. Too wide in focus and loosely defined to be useful as a virtue. Its practical side is largely represented by prudence and responsibility, while its abstract side is covered by virtues like rationality, humility and reverence in balance.
[[/folder]]

For virtues commonly found in unsympathetic characters, see EvilVirtues. For the narrative pattern where virtues or vices are allegorically associated with characters or other in-story entities, see EmbodimentOfVirtue and EmbodimentOfVice, respectively.

----
!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* In ''KarakuridoujiUltimo'', there are fifty Douji representing positive traits. Ultimo and the Six Perfects of Buddhism are the strongest of them, fighting against the Douji based on negative traits (including the SevenDeadlySins).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* In ''Discworld/GoingPostal'', the (now) Eight Virtues are Fortitude, Patience, Chastity, Charity, Hope, Silence, Tubso and Bissonomy. Few people practice Tubso and Bissonomy in the busy modern world, because no-one remembers what they are.
* The ''Psychomachia'' (The Battle for the Soul of Man), by the Latin poet Prudentius, was written to depict the battle between the virtues and vices for the souls of mankind. Faith fights [Paganism], Chastity fights Lust, Patience [[SheatheYourSword 'fights']] Wrath, and so on.
* ''The Allegory of Love'' by Creator/CSLewis references many of the virtues listed in ''Psychomachia''. Among them are: Orthodoxy, Humility, Patience, and Self-Control in opposition to, respectively: Discord, Pride, Wrath, and Luxury.
* The ''Literature/AnneOfGreenGables'' books contain a passing reference to a woman who named her three daughters Faith, Hope, and Charity: "Faith didn't believe in anything, Hope was a born pessimist, and Charity was a miser."
* The three theological virtues are poisonous to [[OurVampiresAreDifferent the White Court]] in ''TheDresdenFiles''. They are also embodied by the three swords wielded by the Knights of the Cross: Fidelacchius (faith), Esperacchius (hope), and Amoracchius (love).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Religion]]
* The precursor to the seven heavenly virtues are the Cardinal virtues, first penned by Plato and Aristotle, and the Theological virtues, taken from the New Testament of Literature/TheBible. They are as follows:
--> '''Cardinal''': Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Courage.
--> '''Theological''': Faith, Hope, and Love (also called Charity).
* Buddhism teaches the Noble Eightfold Path, consisting of: Right view, Right intention, Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness, and Right concentration.
* The Anishinaabe people (also known as the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Algonkins) of North America have the Seven Teachings, also known as the Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers. They are: Wisdom, Love, Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Humility, and Truth.
* This is also related to the "Fruits of the Spirit", also from the New Testament: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. They are so named because the belief is that the Spirit will grow (like a fruit) these qualities in you.
* The Charge of the Goddess names the eight virtues as wisdom, beauty, strength, power, mirth, reverence, compassion and humility.
* TheTalmud includes various lists of virtues:
** In Mishnah Sotah 9:15, Rabbi Pinhas ben Yair lists the following virtues, the cultivation of each one leading in turn to the next: heedfulness, cleanliness, purity, abstinence, holiness, humility, shunning of sin, and saintliness.[[hottip:*:The end result of cultivating all these is the gift of divine inspiration ("the holy spirit"), which in turn brings about the future resurrection of the dead.]]
** In Mishnah Avot 1:2, Simon the Just states: "The world rests upon three things: Torah, service to God, and showing loving-kindness."
** In Mishnah Avot 1:18, Rabbi Simeon ben Gamaliel states: "The world rests on three things: justice, truth, and peace."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* In Chaosium's ''Pendragon'', traits included Chaste/Lustful, Energetic, Forgiving, Generous, Honest, Just, Merciful, Modest/Proud, Pious/Worldly, Prudent/Reckless, Temperate/Indulgent, Trusting and Valorous. Some of the traits were considered virtues by specific cultures:
** Christian: Chaste, Forgiving, Merciful, Modest, Temperate.
** Pagan: Energetic, Generous, Honest, Lustful, Proud.
** Wotanic: Generous, Indulgent, Proud, Reckless, Worldly.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' provides Four Virtues which structure the moral merits and failings of all sapient characters. They are Compassion, Valor, Conviction, and Temperance.
* ''LegendsOfTheWulin'' has some mechanics revolving the ''Xia'' (Chivalrous) and Selfish virtues. The Xia virtues are ''Kuan'' (Benevolence), ''Ba'' (Force), ''Xin'' (Honor), ''Zhong'' (Loyalty), and ''Yi'' (Righteousness), while the Selfish virtues are ''Bao'' (Ferocity), ''Si'' (Individualism), ''Chan'' (Obsession), ''Chou'' (Revenge), and ''Hen'' (Ruthlessness).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* The ''{{Ultima}}'' series
** The original Eight Virtues which the Avatar must follow: Honesty, Compassion, Valor, Justice, Sacrifice, Honor, Spirituality, and Humility. In turn, these are taken from Three Principles: Truth, Love, and Courage.
** There are eight sins or vices that are the opposite of the eight Virtues. While the Virtues are represented by seven shrines throughout the land [[spoiler:and the eighth in the Ethereal Void]], the Vices are represented by seven dungeons [[spoiler:and the eighth in the vast underworld.]]
** Honesty / Deceit, Compassion / Despise, Valor / Destard, Justice / Wrong, Sacrifice / Covetous, Honor / Shame, Spirituality / Hythloth, Humility / The Great Stygian Abyss
** The people of [[ParallelUniverse Killorn Keep]] in ''[[UltimaUnderworld Ultima Underworld II]]'' observe a dystopian set of virtues: sobriety, punctuality, obedience, vigilance, conformity, efficiency, silence, diligence.
** In ''[[VideoGame/UltimaVIIPartII Ultima VII part 2: Serpent Isle]]'', the (now extinct and vanished, respectively) followers of Chaos and Order each had a set of virtues: Tolerance, Enthusiasm and Emotion for Chaos, and Ethicality, Discipline and Logic for Order. Interestingly, these are not considered opposites to each other, but instead complement each other in Balance, which is considered optimal. (Logic and Emotion creates Rationality, etc, making the virtues of Balance.) Conversely, embracing one while rejecting the other causes imbalance and becomes "anti-virtues": Emotion without Logic is Insanity, and Discipline without Enthusiasm becomes Apathy.
* ''Videogame/KingdomOfLoathing'' -- The Ultimate Legendary Epic Weapon of the Turtle Tamers is the Flail of the Seven Aspects, representing seven good traits of turtles: Strength, Wisdom, Protection, Tenacity, Fortitude, Valor, and Patience. It can attack seven times in one round.
* The ''Franchise/DragonAge'' has five negative emotions: Pride, Desire, Sloth, Hunger, and Rage, each associated with a [[OurDemonsAreDifferent type of demon]] and condemned by the [[TheChurch Chantry]]. Likewise, there are five positive emotions, Fortitude/Valor, Compassion, Justice, Faith, and Hope, each associated with a [[OurSpiritsAreDifferent benevolent spirit type]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* A central theme of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' seems to be a simple model of virtue ethics, where six different elements constitute the whole of Harmony, and one of the core narrative functions of each main character is to exemplify one of these ideals. Being social virtues, many of these are often de-emphasized or completely overlooked in other contexts, due to the traditional tendency of virtue ethics to place the emphasis on individual excellence of character.
** Kindness is a classic virtue, often referred to in other contexts as [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E13MagicalMysteryCure compassion]], and closely related to forgiveness and understanding. Also called Compassion by Princess Celestia. Personified by Fluttershy.
** Honesty, another classic virtue. Can be interpreted in truthfulness in word, but also as [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E13MagicalMysteryCure integrity]] of character, and fidelity and reliability in deed. Also called Integrity by Princess Celestia. Personified by Applejack.
** Generosity, in other contexts often referred to as [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E13MagicalMysteryCure charity]] or self-sacrifice. Also called Charity by Princess Celestia. Personified by Rarity, who only tends to display her sincere affinity for it when the need is most dire. The similarity between her name and "charity" seems likely to be intentional.
** Loyalty. A classic social virtue. In some ways related to the traditional value of honor, it can be interpreted both as [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E13MagicalMysteryCure devotion]] to one's country and to one's friends. Also called Devotion by Princess Celestia. Personified by Rainbow Dash.
** Laughter. A highly unorthodox virtue. Hardly found in any other context in quite the same form, it nevertheless shares several traits with hope and mirth, both of which appear in some virtue-ethical models. Also called Optimism by Princess Celestia. Personified by Pinkie Pie.
** Magic/Friendship. The central theme of the show. This virtue can be regarded as a mixture of all of the others, as well as a constituent in and of itself of the whole of Harmony. It is the strength of unity that arises from harmonious, joyful relationships with others. A similar notion, albeit with less emphasis on the emotional dimension, in different contexts is that of solidarity. Also called Leadership by Princess Celestia. Personified by Twilight Sparkle.
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[[folder:Real Life]]
* Seven separate virtues make up the Bushido code: Rectitude, Courage, Benevolence, Respect, Honesty, Honor, and Loyalty.
* For traditional Japanese society, the PillarsOfMoralCharacter: On (Reciprocacy), Gimu (Piety), Giri (Duty), and Ninjo (Compassion).
* The United States Army endorses seven basic values within its ranks, with an acronym of LDRSHIP: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage.
* Knights of the Middle Ages often followed Knightly Virtues based on the heavenly and Cardinal virtues.
* Kwanzaa, a celebration of Afro-American/African culture in the US has seven principles:
** Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
** Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.
** Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems, and to solve them together.
** Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
** Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
** Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
** Imani (Faith): To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
* The Boy Scout Law (American Version): "A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent." Similar versions are used in other countries, expressing generally the same morals.
* The Seven Cardinal Virtues of a DeMolay: Filial Love, Respect for Sacred Things, Courtesy, Comradeship, Fidelity, Cleaness, and Patriotism.
* Ben Franklin drew out a list of thirteen virtues, in the order he deemed easiest to learn: temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and - this last added after his lack was pointed out to him - humility.
* According to the Soviet "Moral Code of the Builder of Communism", the Communist virtues are the following:
** Conviction to the Communist cause and patriotism;
** Honest work for the good of the society;
** Care for communal wealth;
** Sense of duty to the society;
** Collectivism and mutual help;
** Humanism and mutual respect;
** Honesty and truthfulness;
** Respect to family members;
** Intolerance for injustice, parasitism, dishonesty and careerism;
** Fraternal solidarity with workers of all nations.
* The three virtues of [[http://kw.pm.org/talks/0204-modules/slide013.html programming:]] Laziness, Impatience and Hubris. [[SevenDeadlySins Wait...]]
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** Kindness is a classic virtue, often referred to in other contexts as [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E13MagicalMysteryCure compassion]], and closely related to forgiveness and understanding. Personified by Fluttershy.
** Honesty, another classic virtue. Can be interpreted in truthfulness in word, but also as [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E13MagicalMysteryCure integrity]] of character, and fidelity and reliability in deed. Personified by Applejack.
** Generosity, in other contexts often referred to as [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E13MagicalMysteryCure charity]] or self-sacrifice. Personified by Rarity, who only tends to display her sincere affinity for it when the need is most dire. The similarity between her name and "charity" seems likely to be intentional.
** Loyalty. A classic social virtue. In some ways related to the traditional value of honor, it can be interpreted both as [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E13MagicalMysteryCure devotion]] to one's country and to one's friends. Personified by Rainbow Dash.
** Laughter. A highly unorthodox virtue. Hardly found in any other context in quite the same form, it nevertheless shares several traits with hope and mirth, both of which appear in some virtue-ethical models. Personified by Pinkie Pie.
** Magic/Friendship. The central theme of the show. This virtue can be regarded as a mixture of all of the others, as well as a constituent in and of itself of the whole of Harmony. It is the strength of unity that arises from harmonious, joyful relationships with others. A similar notion, albeit with less emphasis on the emotional dimension, in different contexts is that of solidarity. Personified by Twilight Sparkle.

* Prudence. The practical wisdom to distinguish between constructive and non-constructive action. Opposite of recklessness.

* Patience. The acceptance of the fact that things, including understanding, takes time, and the ability to suppress negative reactions that arise when the wait takes longer than initially expected. At first may seem trivial in a list of virtues, but it is truly of profound weight in order to avoid needless social tensions. And, as is well known, social tensions have a way of [[ThisMeansWar snowballing...]] Opposite of impatience.

* Industriousness. The practice of engaging in activities that further ones's personal and collective goals in a constructive fashion. Opposite of passivity.

* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', a central theme is the values of Loyalty, Kindness, Laughter, Honesty, Generosity and Friendship, and how they together form the whole of Harmony.

* Integrity. The state and quality of holding fast to one's moral beliefs. Self-implied. This is a virtue that simply tells us to be virtuous.
** Also, if one's own moral beliefs are skewed with the rest of humanity, this becomes willfulness instead.

** Storge. Familial affection. Closely related to loyalty and duty, but of course with added emotional implications. It is hard to ascribe any intrinsic moral value to this affection without violating the virtue of partiality, however, since we do not normally choose our family, nation, etc.

* Modesty. The inclination and ability to suppress impulses to lampshade one's strengths in social contexts. Opposite of boisterousness.

* Beauty. The aspiration to uphold and express a sense of aesthetics through one's person and environs. As a virtue, should be interpreted in a much wider sense than merely [[TheBeautifulTropes personal comeliness]]. Rather controversial partially due to the subjective nature of beauty, but it is hard to argue that there is anything wrong with ''trying'' to attain beauty, as long as it does not interfere with [[TrueBeautyIsOnTheInside more morally relevant interests]], as EvilVirtues might. Ties in closely with creativity. Opposite of homeliness. All forms of etiquette are included in the domain of this virtue, except modesty (see below). Also includes courteousness.

* Beauty. The aspiration to uphold and express a sense of aesthetics through one's person and environs. As a virtue, should be interpreted in a much wider sense than merely [[TheBeautifulTropes personal comeliness]]. Rather controversial partially due to the subjective nature of beauty, but it is hard to argue that there is anything wrong with ''trying'' to attain beauty, as long as it does not interfere with [[TrueBeautyIsOnTheInside more morally relevant interests]], as EvilVirtues might. Ties in closely with creativity. Opposite of homeliness. All forms of etiquette are included in the domain of this virtue, except modesty (see below).

* Solidarity. The insight that one can accomplish much more in union with others with whom interests are shared than alone, through the means of organization and co-operation. Opposite of [[IneffectualLoner self-sufficiency]] ([[http://www.facebook.com/apeaceofconflict/posts/434220453312926]]).

* Patience. The acceptance of the fact that things, including understanding, takes time, and the ability to suppress negative reactions that arise when the wait takes longer than initially expected. At first may seem trivial in a list of virtue, but it is truly of profound weight in order to avoid needless social tensions. And, as is well known, social tensions have a way of [[ThisMeansWar snowballing...]] Opposite of impatience.

[[quoteright:256:[[VideoGame/UltimaIV http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ultimaiv_partial_avatarhood_4528.jpeg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:256:Whew! Only 7 more to go...]]

Virtue systems often appear in [[ReligionTropes religion]], where the virtues usually are regarded as downright sacred, and often roads to rewards in the afterlife. One classical system of religious virtues from history is the SevenHeavenlyVirtues and their counterparts the SevenDeadlySins, both sprung from Christianity.

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** In ''[[{{Ultima}} Ultima VII part 2: Serpent Isle]]'', the (now extinct and vanished, respectively) followers of Chaos and Order each had a set of virtues: Tolerance, Enthusiasm and Emotion for Chaos, and Ethicality, Discipline and Logic for Order. Interestingly, these are not considered opposites to each other, but instead complement each other in Balance, which is considered optimal. (Logic and Emotion creates Rationality, etc, making the virtues of Balance.) Conversely, embracing one while rejecting the other causes imbalance and becomes "anti-virtues": Emotion without Logic is Insanity, and Discipline without Enthusiasm becomes Apathy.

* Beauty. The aspiration to uphold and express a sense of aesthetics through one's person and environs. As a virtue, should be interpreted in a much wider sense than merely personal comeliness. Rather controversial partially due to the subjective nature of beauty, but it is hard to argue that there is anything wrong with ''trying'' to attain beauty, as long as it does not interfere with [[TrueBeautyIsOnTheInside more morally relevant interests]], as EvilVirtues might. Ties in closely with creativity. Opposite of homeliness. All forms of etiquette are included in the domain of this virtue, except modesty (see below).

* Beauty. The aspiration to uphold and express a sense of aesthetics through one's person and environs. As a virtue, should be interpreted in a much wider sense than merely personal comeliness. Rather controversial partially due to the subjective nature of beauty, but it is hard to argue that there is anything wrong with ''trying'' to attain beauty, as long as it does not interfere with more morally relevant interests, as EvilVirtues might. Ties in closely with creativity. Opposite of homeliness. All forms of etiquette are included in the domain of this virtue, except modesty (see below).

* Vigilance. The habit of keeping alert for external threats towards one's interests. As a virtue, slightly controversial since it can easily turn into paranoia if it is unchecked, leading to needless social tension. Opposite of heedlessness.

* [[PowerOfTrust Trust]]. Suffers a strained relationship with vigilance. The inclination to allow strangers the benefit of the doubt rather than assuming the worst about them without due cause. Also denotes having faith in the abilities and intentions of friends and allies. Opposite of mistrust, which in many ways is similar to paranoia (see vigilance).