(Pre-2015)
The Four Cardinal Virtues, temperance, prudence, fortitude and justice, have been taught to Jedi for over 10 years, and are considered values to live by. The Jedi Knights are not the original source, as these virtues actually date back to the age of Greek philosophers, in the time of Plato. Throughout the centuries these four cardinal virtues have been integrated into most religions and accepted by most modern Christian theologians:
For the Jewish, in Wisdom 8:7.
The Catholic Church, in the time of Saints Augustine and Ambrose, around 390.
The four cardinal virtues when combined with the 3 theological virtues or graces (1 Corinthians 13) of Faith, Hope and Charity (Love - King James vers.), make the seven heavenly virtues. For hundreds of years, these have been widely accepted as morals to live by.
A Jedi Knights has long had instilled within her the importance of living all aspects of life by the four cardinal virtues, and that most morals are hinged upon these.
Temperance
Temperance is generally accepted as the first of these virtues. However, the four cardinal virtues are considered intertwined and inseparable. After all, what is temperance without prudence, fortitude without justice, or justice without prudence?
In the path of the Jedi, temperance is the moderation of all things. Temperance, like all of the virtues, is good for the physical body as well as spirit. A Jedi is to avoid excessive, wasteful living habits, to live a balanced life. To control his temper with his fellow Jedi, family and all others. Not to be controlled by his emotions. No over indulging in food or drink, the latter of which can cause lapse in judgment and loss of secrets entrusted by fellow Jedi.
Observance of temperance allows Jedi of all walks of life, regardless of societal or monetary class to freely share in their commonality in the temples.
Sophrosyne in Greek is defined as “moderation in action, thought, or feeling; restraint.” [1]) has been studied by religious thinkers, philosophers, and more recently, psychologists, particularly in the positive psychology movement. It is considered a virtue, a core value that can be seen consistently across time and cultures. It is considered one of the four cardinal virtues, for it is believed that no virtue could be sustained in the face of inability to control oneself, if the virtue was opposed to some desire. It is also one of the six main categories of Character Strengths.
Temperance is generally defined by control over excess, so that it has many such classes, such as abstinence, chastity, modesty, humility, prudence, self-regulation, and forgiveness and mercy; each of these involves restraining some impulse, such as sexual desire, vanity, or anger.
Prudence
For the Jedi, prudence is a two-part virtue of acquiring knowledge through both thinking and education. To be prudent is to use good judgment and reasoning. Always seek and live by the truth. By living prudently, a Jedi has a clear conscience, open to knowledge and reasoning. The cardinal virtue of prudence is often called Truth, with virtual same meaning. Prudence is the characteristic of exercising sound judgment in practical affairs. It is classically considered to be a virtue, and in particular one of the four Cardinal virtues (which are, with the three theological virtues, part of the seven virtues).
The word comes from Old French prudence (13th century), from Latin prudentia (foresight, sagacity), a contraction of providentia, foresight. It is often associated with wisdom, insight, and knowledge. In this case, the virtue is the ability to judge between virtuous and vicious actions, not only in a general sense, but with regard to appropriate actions at a given time and place. Although prudence itself does not perform any actions, and is concerned solely with knowledge, all virtues had to be regulated by it. Distinguishing when acts are courageous, as opposed to reckless or cowardly, for instance, is an act of prudence, and for this reason it is classified as a cardinal (pivotal) virtue.
Although prudence would be applied to any such judgment, the more difficult tasks, which distinguish a person as prudent, are those in which various goods have to be weighed against each other, as when a person is determining what would be best to give charitable donations, or how to punish a child so as to prevent repeating an offense.
In modern English, however, the word has become increasingly synonymous with cautiousness. In this sense, prudence names a reluctance to take risks, which remains a virtue with respect to unnecessary risks, but when unreasonably extended (i.e. over-cautiousness), can become the vice of cowardice.
In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle gives a lengthy account of the virtue phronesis (Greek: ϕρονησιϛ), which has traditionally been translated as "prudence", although this has become increasingly problematic as the word has fallen out of common usage. More recently ϕρονησιϛ has been translated by such terms as "practical wisdom", "practical judgment," or "rational choice."
Fortitude
Fortitude gives Light Jedi at the FA a 10+ year worldwide history and the claim of being the longest consistently surviving online organization of Jedi Knights. This is the value of high principles and the ability to stand by your convictions, stay the course regardless of the cost or pain endured. To give up is un-Jedi-like. The virtue of fortitude implores high moral fiber and the courage to live by his convictions. This fortitude and courage has had grandiose impact throughout (world) history.
The virtue of fortitude, or courage, is firmness of spirit, steadiness of will in doing good despite obstacles in the performance of our daily duty. It suppresses inordinate fear and curbs recklessness. Because fortitude also moderates rashness, it is the special virtue of pioneers in any field.
Fortitude is the obverse of temperance. Where temperance limits inordinate desire for major pleasures such as food and drink or the marital act, fortitude limits inordinate rashness and fear in the face of major pain that threatens to unbalance human nature.
Justice
The cardinal value of justice is one that the Jedi takes one step farther than simple justice. Common allegorical sculptures depicting justice are blindfolded, holding an equaled scale and sword. A Jedi mu st act, with eyes wide open, unselfishly, even self-sacrificing. He must act honorably to his fellow Jedi and all others. "Treat others as he would be treated" (Matthew 7:12) must be a cornerstone in the Jedi Knight's life. Justice is one of the four cardinal virtues in classical European philosophy and Roman Catholicism. It is the moderation between selfishness and selflessness.
The just man renders to each and all what is due to them, which are their moral and legal rights to do, possess, or exact something. This is equal insofar as each one receives what he is entitled to, but may be unequal insofar as different people may have different rights: two children have different rights from a certain adult if that adult is the parent of one of them and not of the other. It is closely related, in Christianity, to the practice of charity, because it regulates the relationships with others. It is a cardinal virtue, which is to say "pivotal" because it regulates all such relationships, and is sometimes deemed the most important of the cardinal virtues.
Lessons of these virtues are taught from Jedi to Jedi, through tradition and rite. The knowledge learned is to be applied, individually to each Knight's life. The path of the Jedi is said to be the path of peace and justice.
By living with temperance, prudence, fortitude, and justice, Jedi can achieve this.