Humanitext Reader

Aristotle · Great Ethics §1.23.1-1.23.2

Liberality as a Mean Regarding Wealth

Passage 25 of 71 · Greek

Summary

Defines liberality as a mean between prodigality and illiberality, clarifying the nature of the praiseworthy person in the middle by contrasting the spending habits of the two extremes.

§1.23.1ἐλευθεριότης δέ ἐστιν μεσότης ἀσωτίας καὶ ἀνελευθερίας.
And liberality is a mean between prodigality and illiberality.
ἔστιν δὲ περὶ χρήματα τὰ τοιαῦτα πάθη·
And such passions are concerned with wealth.
ὁ τε γὰρ ἄσωτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀναλίσκων εἰς ἃ μὴ δεῖ καὶ πλείω ὧν δεῖ καὶ ὅτε μὴ δεῖ, ὅ τʼ ἀνελεύθερος ἐναντίως τούτῳ ὁ μὴ ἀναλίσκων εἰς ἃ δεῖ καὶ ὅσα δεῖ καὶ ὅτε δεῖ.
For the prodigal is the one who spends on what he ought not, and more than he ought, and when he ought not, while the illiberal person, contrary to him, is the one who does not spend on what he ought, and as much as he ought, and when he ought.
§1.23.2ἀμφότεροι δὲ οὗτοι ψεκτοί.
And both of these are blameworthy.
ἔστι δὲ τούτων ὃ μὲν κατʼ ἔλλειψιν ὃ δὲ καθʼ ὑπερβολήν.
And of these, the one is by way of deficiency, and the other by way of excess.
ὁ ἄρα ἐλευθέριος, ἐπειδή ἐστιν ἐπαινετός, μέσος τις ἂν εἴη τούτων.
Therefore the liberal person, since he is praiseworthy, would be a mean between these.
τίς οὖν ἐστίν;
Who, then, is he?
ὁ ἀναλίσκων εἰς ἃ δεῖ καὶ ὅσα δεῖ καὶ ὅτε δεῖ.
The one who spends on what he ought, and as much as he ought, and when he ought.

Notes

  1. §1.23.1πλείω ὧν δεῖ — ὧν is an instance of relative attraction and ellipsis, originally standing for πλείω τούτων ἃ δεῖ ('more than those things which are necessary'). It functions as a genitive of comparison governed by the comparative adjective πλείω.
  2. §1.23.1μὴ δεῖ — The negative particle μή in the relative clause εἰς ἃ μὴ δεῖ ('on what he ought not') and with the participle ὁ μὴ ἀναλίσκων ('the one who does not spend') is used because these express general, hypothetical conditions or characteristic types rather than specific factual instances.
  3. §1.23.2ὃ μὲν ... ὃ δὲ — An expression meaning 'the one... the other...' referencing the two extremes or states implied by τούτων. They are treated as neuter singulars here, indicating the one aspect or extreme (deficiency) and the other (excess).

Cite this passage

Aristotle, Great Ethics §1.23.1-1.23.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg022.humanitext-grc1:1.23.1-1.23.2

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