Prudence is the human-made virtue of practical wisdom that governs decision-making under uncertainty. It carves the practice of weighing consequences, tempering impulse with deliberation, and choosing the safer or more advantageous course among available alternatives. Prudence persists through moral education, practical experience, and the transmission of maxims and proverbs that encode collective caution. [formal: prudentia | substrate: mind | horizon: a life | explicit: yes | epoch: 0.01]
Accepted ontology entry
prudence
Prudence is the human-made virtue of practical wisdom that governs decision-making under uncertainty. It carves the practice of weighing consequences, tempering impulse with deliberation, and choosing the safer or more advantageous course…
Definition
Why it is in scope
Prudence is a human-constructed virtue — practical wisdom that governs judgment in action. Named and classified within ethical systems across cultures, it persists through philosophical discourse, moral education, and cultural transmission.
Names and aliases
- prudenceen · CANONICAL
Relations from this entry
- cmrcnayto00ia13vz5app588mINSTANCE_OF →
Prudence IS a specific kind of wisdom — practical wisdom involving foresight, caution, and careful judgment. A competent speaker would call prudence 'a form of wisdom.' Files against wisdom as the nearest kind (Law 9, 11e).
- cmrnpwjwq02y6d1nl4am3t71xSERVES →
Prudence — careful, thoughtful judgment to avoid harm or error — exists for the sake of decision-making. It is cultivated precisely to improve how decisions are made, guiding them toward prudent outcomes.
Relations to this entry
No accepted relations in this direction.
Record identity
- Created
- Jul 20, 2026, 6:14 PM UTC
- Content hash
- a0ceabbf1718c0108ca4736356713a53e067e68d720939eed5da7feeccb10e31