Before we go further we need to define what is meant by virtue. Just like every first year debate student is taught, before advancing an argument you must define your terms. So again what is meant by virtue? After all this word has changed meaning and been used and abused throughout the years. The dictionary definition states that virtue is “morally good behavior or character” or “the good result that comes from something” and while these have merit and do help to define what we’re talking about, they’re also limited and don’t cover the whole thing.
According to the Greeks virtue, arete as they called it, was more tied to excellence and the proper performance and functioning of a thing. Which encompasses morality but also extended beyond it to all facets of life. Which gets closer to what we’re talking about here when we talk about virtue. Virtue is moral excellence of course, but it is more than just moral excellence, it is also the proper functioning of a thing. It is excellence in all facets of life.
Excellence being something that fulfills its function in the highest possible way. Again no one definition is going to be perfect but I think we have a wide enough overview of the term virtue to continue and talk about the three schools or levels of virtue, their importance, and how to master each in your life and why you need too.
But first what are the three schools or levels of virtue?
The Three “Schools” Of Virtue
What are the three schools of virtues and why do I also say they can be referred to as the three levels of virtues? Let’s start with the schools. The three schools of virtue are the barbarian virtues, the civilized virtues, and then the moral or higher virtues. They all feed into each other, are connected, and if you’re missing even one you’ll either be stunted in your growth or teetering on a false foundation. Many orders throughout the years has tried to define virtues, meaning determining what is good from what is base, but none to my knowledge have encompassed all three levels.
Now what is meant by levels? Here’s the thing, there is a certain order to the schools of virtue. Meaning that mastery of one is required for the other to truly flourish. We have schools that span from the primal and go to the cosmic, encompassing the primal/cosmic order. Now why are they levels? When we look at them the moral or higher or cosmic virtues are at a higher level of human development than the primal or barbarian virtues. However that does not mean that they are better and here’s another thing.
Without the barbarian virtues, the foundation, the civilized and higher virtues don’t have much meaning or power. Look at it like a pyramid, the top of the pyramid is higher than than the bottom yet it’d be foolish to say that is is better because after all without the bottom, the foundation, the whole thing would come crumbling down. None of the levels are better, they’re all needed. Just like breathing in isn’t better than breathing out, both are needed. However for full functioning you must master the barbarian virtues before the civilized can fully flourish and you must master the civilized before the higher can fully flourish.
However you should be working on all three concurrently.
What Each School Of Virtue Consists Of
Remember that in our somewhat loose definition virtue means excellence of a sort, doing things in their highest expression. So what does each level or school consist of. Let me state first that a complete definition will never be possible. I’m going to give you a broad overview and you can fill it in with what makes sense to you and works for you. The barbarian virtues are virtues needed to survive in the harsh, primal, and barbaric world of our ancestors.
The ability to fight, to hunt, to survive. Strength, courage, honor, cunning, and toughness are prized at the barbarian virtue level. And these are good, noble, and yes, virtuous things. Things that many males in the modern world lack. Like the old saying goes if you want to be a gentleman, you must first be a man. These modern males are just gentle and weak, without the barbarian virtues any civilized ones they have developed fail to do much for them or the world around them.
Next we have the civilized virtues. The civilized virtues are virtues required for success in what we called the civilized world. This is things like good social skills, understanding, intelligence, knowledge, persuasion, creativity, and the like. Skills required to succeed in the world of the civilized man. Things that would allow one to succeed socially, in business, amidst a teeming mass of other people without resorting to violence. Again the civilized virtues.
Then we have the higher virtues. These are a little different. These are the ones that it is rare for man to develop and brings man closer to higher beings, a little lower than the angels as the old phrase goes. These have eternal value and incredible value amongst a tight knit group. Though showing them or using them for the world is essentially throwing pearls before swine. These are things like honesty, integrity, being of high moral character, and the like.
You’ll probably notice that these roughly correlate to the levels of physical, mental, and spiritual though obviously they all bleed into one another at least in part.
How To Develop Each School Of Virtue
Each school empowers and allows the one above it to flourish, though for a fully functioning man, a warrior poet, they are all required to be developed to the upmost. The barbarian virtues come first followed by the civilized followed by the higher. The barbarian being the lower level of the pyramid, the foundation. The civilized being the middle part of the pyramid. And then the higher virtues being the top part. All are required, all are equally important, but that is the order to allow the one above to flourish.
No one cares about the mental prowess or character of a weak coward. And no ones admires the character of a dullard. And so on and so forth. But with that said each should be developed at the same time, as they all bleed into one another and empower one another at some level. But how to develop each school of virtue? I don’t want to sound like a broken record but I’ll lay out a general plan below. We’ve already talked about many of the habits that would fit into this general plan and so I won’t go over them again, but hopefully you are starting to grasp the importance of those habits, and just how all encompassing they are.
The barbarian virtues do anything that develops strength, honor, cunning, courage, and the like. Anything that would help you survive in the harsh primal world of our ancestors. The civilized virtues are those that’d help you flourish in civilized society. Things that develop intelligence, understanding, social skills, creativity, and the like. Thing’s that help you succeed in a civilized society.
Then we have the higher virtues. The higher virtues are those that still glitter when the dross of this world is taken away. That when you go before God that will still have meaning, will still have purpose, will still glitter in the light of heaven. Things like honesty, moral character, goodness, wisdom, and the dictionary definition of virtue. Things that are good and noble, that will ennoble you.
Master The Three Schools Of Virtue
We’ve talked so much about the importance of balance and it’s no different here. Man is a multi-faceted creature. He is no any one thing, he is many things. You must be well developed in the barbarian virtues, the civilized virtues, and the higher virtues. Not just one of the three, not just two of the three, but all three must be developed to their upmost for full development. To become the warrior poet. You should be able to be thrown into a tribal society of the ice age and thrive.
Thrown into a court of the renaissance or medieval period and thrive. And be placed before higher beings and still have parts that glitter and stand out, parts that are worthy. Not an easy task, but remember what is accomplished easy has little value. What is hard accomplished has tremendous value. And becoming a warrior poet is frankly one of the hardest paths to take. But it is also the most rewarding.
So don’t fear to tread it.
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-Charles Sledge
