VI. What Shall I Do if...?

Life presents us with a myriad of moral challenges, often leaving us feeling perplexed and uncertain about the best course of action. Keeping steadfast to our moral principles is necessary but insufficient. The real challenge lies in applying the principles to the specific circumstances. That challenge demands creativity and improvisation. In other words, we need a skill set that enables us to make the better decision is complex situations. Those moral skillls are the virtues of prudence and justice. The virtue of prudence addresses the question of "What should I do now?" While the virtue of justice helps us to decide, "what must I do now?"

The challenge of navigating life's trials remains open to new and creative solutions. Frequently, we feel tempted to seek rigid principles to alleviate our problems. However, the only rigid principles we should adopt are those prohibiting the violation of human dignity. Other moral principles, the positive ones, serve as guiding lights, pointing out necessary goals to pursue in a general sense. Yet, the question of how to apply these principles in specific situations doesn't demand another principle but rather a virtue, the virtue of prudence.

Prudence considers the specific circumstances at hand, rendering each case unique. It entails a creative exercise of reason to devise appropriate means to achieve noble ends and execute them effectively. There is no one-size-fits-all moral solution for all dilemmas. Prudence necessitates evaluating the situation, selecting the most suitable course of action from among realistic options, and implementing that decision within the concrete circumstances.

Furthermore, our decisions must extend beyond merely considering different circumstances; they must also prioritize the individuals affected by our decisions. Humans are persons with inherent rights and corresponding duties. Hence, we must exercise prudent judgment to discern what is owed to those with whom we build societies.

Authentic fairness in society needs to transcend mere legal obligations. A truly better world is one inhabited by virtuous individuals who consider it fair to give back to society and to practice moral obligations that increase the flow of goodness (truth, wealth, trust, etc) in society. A superior society comprises people who have cultivated social virtues—virtues that compel them to honor their obligations to those who contribute to society at large or to individuals in particular. 

Building societies on the premise that it is better to maximise individual liberties and shrink individual obligations will make of our societies a lose conglomerate of self-centered individuals, as it is increasingly happening.

We are not solitary entities. We owe each other whatever is necessary for the up-keeping of our societies because we are inherently social beings. Living harmoniously in society necessitates embracing moral obligations and developing social virtues that ensure a constant flow of truth, recognition, acknowledgment, generosity, and even moral guidance.