Aristotle · Great Ethics §1.24.1

Forms of Illiberality and the Scope of Liberality

Passage 26 of 71 · Greek

Summary

The passage classifies the various forms of illiberality and explains that the acquisition and provision of wealth belong not to the virtue of liberality, but rather to the art of wealth-acquisition.

§1.24.1— ἔστι δὲ καὶ τῆς ἀνελευθεριότητος εἴδη πλείω, οἷον κίμβικάς τινας καλοῦμεν καὶ κυμινοπρίστας καὶ αἰσχροκερδεῖς καὶ μικρολόγους.

— And there are also several kinds of illiberality, such as those whom we call skinflints, cumin-splitters, sordid gain-seekers, and pettifoggers.

πάντες δʼ οὗτοι ὑπὸ τὴν ἀνελευθεριότητα πίπτουσιν.

But all these fall under illiberality.

τὸ μὲν γὰρ κακὸν πολυειδές, τὸ δʼ ἀγαθὸν μονοειδές, οἷον ἡ μὲν ὑγίεια ἁπλοῦν, ἡ δὲ νόσος πολυειδές.

For vice has many forms, while virtue has but one; just as health is simple, but disease has many forms.

ὁμοίως ἡ μὲν ἀρετὴ ἁπλοῦν, ἡ δὲ κακία πολυειδές.

Likewise, virtue is simple, but vice has many forms.

πάντες γὰρ οὗτοι περὶ χρήματά εἰσι ψεκτοί. — πότερον οὖν τοῦ ἐλευθερίου καὶ τὸ κτήσασθαί ἐστι καὶ τὸ παρασκευάσασθαι χρήματα;

For all these are blameworthy in respect of wealth. — Is it then the part of the liberal man also to acquire and provide wealth?

ἢ οὔ;

Or is it not?

οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄλλης ἀρετῆς οὐδεμιᾶς.

For indeed it is not the part of any other virtue either.

οὔτε γὰρ τῆς ἀνδρείας ἐστὶ τὸ ὅπλα ποιῆσαι, ἀλλʼ ἄλλης, ταύτης δὲ λαβούσης τούτοις ὀρθῶς χρήσασθαι, ὁμοίως ἐπὶ σωφροσύνης καὶ τῶν ἄλλων·

For it is not the part of courage to make weapons, but of another art, and the part of courage is, having received them, to use them rightly; and likewise in the case of temperance and the others.

οὔτε δὴ τῆς ἐλευθεριότητος, ἀλλʼ ἤδη χρηματιστικῆς.

Therefore it is not the part of liberality either, but rather of wealth-acquisition.

Notes

¦2¦τοῦ ἐλευθερίου — Possessive genitive used predicatively with ἐστί to denote "it is the part of" or "it is characteristic of" the liberal person.
¦15¦ταύτης δὲ λαβούσης τούτοις ὀρθῶς χρήσασθαι — The pronoun ταύτης refers back to τῆς ἀνδρείας in the previous clause, with the governing verb ἐστί ("it is the part of") being understood. The participle λαβούσης agrees in gender, number, and case with ταύτης, meaning "and the part of this virtue [courage], having received them, is to use them rightly."

Cite this passage

Aristotle, Great Ethics §1.24.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg022.humanitext-grc1:1.24.1

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.