Lecture 2 — The Act of Liberality

Since virtuous actions are good both in themselves and in their intent, the liberal man will give with a good intention and in the right circumstances. He will make gifts to the proper persons, at the opportune time, of whatever gifts are fitting and with all the requisites of reasonable giving. [666]

Besides, he will give with pleasure and without sadness, for a virtuous action is pleasurable and either not sad at all or in a very slight degree. [667]

The man, however, who gives to the wrong persons, or not with the right intention, but for some other cause, will be called not liberal, but by some other name. [668]

Nor will anyone be called liberal who gives with sadness, for he would choose money rather than the generous deed. Such a one surely is not liberal. [669]

Nor will a liberal man accept a gift from an improper source, since an accepting of this sort is not characteristic of one who does not pay homage to wealth. And certainly he will not be inclined to seek favors, for it is not the usual thing that a man who bestows benefactions readily accepts them. [670]

He will take from the proper sources—namely, from his own possessions—for money is not good itself, but necessary that he may have something to give. He will not give to everyone, so that he can give to the right persons when and where it is fitting. [671]

The liberal person, however, is characteristically eager to be generous, keeping things of lesser value for his own use, for he is not solicitous about himself. [672]

Liberality makes allowance for the amount of one’s wealth, since the liberal deed does not lie in the number of gifts, but in the condition of the giver, who gives according to his means. Nothing hinders the smaller donor from being more liberal if he contributes from more limited resources. [673]

People who inherit wealth—not having any experience of need—are more liberal than those who earn their money. All men esteem more highly what they themselves have produced, like parents and poets. [674]

It is not easy to increase the wealth of the liberal man who is inclined neither to accept nor keep riches, but rather to distribute them, placing value not on riches themselves, but on the bestowal of them. [675]

Men bring the accusation against fortune that, of those who deserve wealth, most do not become rich—a fact that has a reasonable explanation. Here (and the same is true in other matters) it is not possible for a person to possess money who does not trouble himself about it. [676]

The liberal man, however, will not give to the wrong persons, nor at the wrong time, nor in any other wrong manner, for he would not be directed to these things according to liberality. Besides, by this squandering, he would be without the resources on which to draw. As has been explained, the liberal man, then, spends according to his means and in the way he ought. [677]

666. Since virtuous actions are good. After the Philosopher has made clear what the principal act of liberality is, he now shows what its qualities should be.

First, he explains the quality of the principal act;

second, the qualities of the secondary acts, at nor will a liberal man accept (1120a31; [670]).

In regard to the initial point, he does two things.

First, he shows what should be the quality of the giving that is the principal act of liberality.

Second, he shows that other kinds of donations do not pertain to liberality, at the man, however (1120a27; [668]).

He treats the first point in a twofold manner.

First, he explains that the giving of the liberal man should be endowed with circumstances, since all virtuous operations ought to be good, directed by reason according to the required circumstances and ordered to a good end. Since, then, giving is the principal act of liberality, it follows that the liberal man should give with rectitude of intention and of deed, that is, in conformity with the norm of reason. This means that he bestows on the proper person, in a fitting manner, and according to all other requisite circumstances called for by right reason.

667. Second, at besides, he will give with pleasure (1120a26), he shows that the giving of a liberal person should be enjoyable. This is what he means in saying that the liberal man gives cheerfully, or at least without sadness. It is true of any virtue, as evident in previous discussions [265–79, 371–8], that virtuous action is either pleasurable or at least without sadness. If the virtuous man has some sadness mingled with his activity, it will be very slight compared with what other men suffer. This was said before in regard to the brave man who, even if he does not take much pleasure in his operation, nevertheless is not made sad or at least has less sadness than anyone who undergoes trials of this kind in his activities.

668. Then, at the man, however (1120a27), he brings out that other donations do not pertain to the liberal man.

First, he says—speaking of disbursements that lack the proper circumstances—that one who gives to the wrong persons, or not for an honorable motive but for some other reason, good or bad, is not called liberal. But he is given a different name according to the difference of the end for which he gives, since moral matters take their species and name from the end.

669. Second, at nor will anyone (1120a29), he shows the same thing about those who give with sadness. He says that a man who gives with sadness is not liberal. The reason is that the cheerless giver seems to prefer wealth to the virtuous action of honorable giving—which is not the case with a liberal person.

670. Next, at nor will a liberal man accept (1120a31), he explains the nature of the secondary acts of liberality like receiving and so on.

Here he makes two points:

first, he shows what the liberal person avoids in accepting;

second, what he should observe, at he will take (1120a34; [671]).

On the first point, he makes two comments.

The first is that the liberal man does not take from improper sources, for to take in this way does not seem becoming to a man who does not highly prize wealth.

The second is that the liberal man is not quick to make requests. Just as what is greatly active in the natural order has little receptivity (for example, fire), so also in the moral order, the liberal person, who is prompt in making benefactions, is not eager to accept benefits from others, that is, to be easily receptive.

671. Then, at he will take (1120a34), Aristotle shows what the liberal man should observe in taking and retaining.

He makes three observations.

The first is that the liberal man takes from the proper sources—namely, from his own possessions and not from others—since he seeks wealth not as a good itself but as something necessary for making gifts.

The second is that he does not neglect the care of his own goods because he wants to have enough to bestow on others.

The third is that he does not give to everyone, but holds back so he can give to the right persons at a fitting place and time.

672. Then, at the liberal person (1120b4), he states four properties of liberality.

The first is that it pertains to the liberal person to give eagerly and generously, not without right reason, but in such a way that what he gives is more than what he retains, because he keeps less for himself than he gives to others. He is indeed content with a few things for himself, but if he wants to care for many people, he must distribute much more. It is not a mark of the generous man to have himself alone in mind.

673. At liberality makes allowance (1120b7), he gives the second property, saying that liberality is attributed according to the relative quantity of a man’s substance or riches. For, a gift is not deemed liberal from its magnitude, but from the habit, that is, the faculty and will of the giver, who gives according to his wealth. Hence, there is no reason why someone who bestows smaller gifts may not be judged more liberal if he gives from more moderate means.

674. He presents the third property at people who inherit (1120b11), affirming that persons who inherit riches from their parents are more liberal than those who acquire them by their own labor.

He assigns two reasons for this.

The first is that people who are given wealth by their parents have never felt the pinch of need. Consequently, they are not afraid to spend, as are those are who have experienced poverty at one time.

The second reason is that all men naturally love their own works; parents love their children, and poets their poems. Likewise, those who acquire riches by their labor look upon them as their own works and rather desire to keep them.

675. He presents the fourth property at it is not easy (1120b14).

He considers this point under three aspects.

First, he indicates the property, saying that the liberal man is not easily made rich, since he is not disposed to accept or keep riches, but rather to distribute them in gifts and disbursements. Nor does he value riches for themselves, but for their distribution.

676. Next, at men bring the accusation (1120b17), he makes clear by a certain sign what he had said. Since the liberal do not readily become wealthy, the common people blame fortune—to which they attribute riches—because those who would be especially deserving (namely, the liberal who give generously to others) are not rich. But Aristotle says that this is not an unreasonable occurrence, for it is not possible that a person should possess wealth who troubles himself very little about it, just as it is not possible that anything else that a man does not care for should be retained.

677. Finally, he excludes a false opinion at the liberal man, however, will not (1120b20). It was not said that the liberal man does not care about riches because he gives to the wrong person, or at the wrong time, or in the wrong manner according to some other circumstance. The reason is both that such an operation would not be liberal and that the liberal person would be hindered in this way from truly generous action, for by reason of useless waste, he would lack the means to make the most worthy disbursements. As has been explained [658–9], he is called liberal, then, who gives donations in the proper manner and according to the condition of his own resources.