Vice and Virtue

Vice

immoral or wicked behavior.

synonyms:

immorality, wrongdoing, wickedness, badness, evil, iniquity, villainy, corruption, misconduct, misdeeds;

criminal activities involving prostitution, pornography, or drugs.

synonyms:

immorality, wrongdoing, wickedness, badness, evil, iniquity, villainy, corruption, misconduct, misdeeds;

an immoral or wicked personal characteristic.

Virtue

Behavior showing high moral standards.  "paragons of virtue"

synonyms:

goodness, virtuousness, righteousness, morality, integrity, dignity,rectitude, honor, decency, respectability, nobility, worthiness, purity;

 (In traditional Christian angelology) the seventh highest order of the nine-fold celestial hierarchy.

Why did some behaviors become labeled Virtuous and others Vices?  Vice, in general, is illegal but not everything that is against the law is considered a vice.  A vice, even when detrimental to no one but them self, is considered immoral.   Why are vice and virtue morality issues and not just legal issues?

Rationale

noun

a set of reasons or a logical basis for a course of action or a particular belief.

"he explained the rationale behind the change"

synonyms:

reason(s), reasoning, thinking, logic, grounds, sense;  principle, theory, argument, case;  motive, motivation, explanation, justification, excuse; the whys and wherefores "the rationale for offering wireless access was simple"

Vice has no need for a rationale.  Virtue needs a rationale.

Vice is understood without explanation.  Virtue needs an explanation (rationale) to be understood and followed.

Vice is obvious.  Virtue is convoluted.

Because we indulge we can over indulge.  Because we can save we can horde.  Because we can use we can abuse.  Because we can discern the difference between feast and famine we can be gluttonous.

If we cannot attain what we need to live we die.  If we can obtain what we need to prosper and reproduce there may be the opportunity to accumulate more than we need.  If we do accumulate more than we need then we have the opportunity to overindulge (engage in conspicuous consumption – gluttony – excess – extravagance – luxuries – superfluous – hording – abuse – pride – arrogance – egotism – vanity – arrogance – self-absorption) at the expense of others.  Without surplus there cannot be vice.  Without surplus and the ability to think symbolically there cannot be virtue.