Whether There Is a Vice Opposed to Meanness?
Objection 1: It seems that there is no vice opposed to meanness. For
great is opposed to little. Now, magnificence is not a vice, but a
virtue. Therefore no vice is opposed to meanness.
Obj. 2: Further, since meanness is a vice by deficiency, as stated
above (A. 1), it seems that if any vice is opposed to meanness, it
would merely consist in excessive spending. But those who spend much,
where they ought to spend little, spend little where they ought to
spend much, according to _Ethic._ iv, 2, and thus they have something
of meanness. Therefore there is not a vice opposed to meanness.
Obj. 3: Further, moral acts take their species from their end, as
stated above (A. 1). Now those who spend excessively, do so in order
to make a show of their wealth, as stated in _Ethic._ iv, 2. But this
belongs to vainglory, which is opposed to magnanimity, as stated
above (Q. 131, A. 2). Therefore no vice is opposed to meanness.
_On the contrary,_ stands the authority of the Philosopher who
(Ethic. ii, 8; iv, 2) places magnificence as a mean between two
opposite vices.
_I answer that,_ Great is opposed to little. Also little and great
are relative terms, as stated above (A. 1). Now just as expenditure
may be little in comparison with the work, so may it be great in
comparison with the work in that it exceeds the proportion which
reason requires to exist between expenditure and work. Hence it is
manifest that the vice of meanness, whereby a man intends to spend
less than his work is worth, and thus fails to observe due proportion
between his expenditure and his work, has a vice opposed to it,
whereby a man exceeds this same proportion, by spending more than is
proportionate to his work. This vice is called in Greek _banausia_,
so called from the Greek _baunos_, because, like the fire in the
furnace, it consumes everything. It is also called _apyrokalia_, i.e.
lacking good fire, since like fire it consumes all, but not for a
good purpose. Hence in Latin it may be called _consumptio_ (waste).
Reply Obj. 1: Magnificence is so called from the great work done, but
not from the expenditure being in excess of the work: for this
belongs to the vice which is opposed to meanness.
Reply Obj. 2: To the one same vice there is opposed the virtue which
observes the mean, and a contrary vice. Accordingly, then, the vice
of waste is opposed to meanness in that it exceeds in expenditure the
value of the work, by spending much where it behooved to spend
little. But it is opposed to magnificence on the part of the great
work, which the magnificent man intends principally, in so far as
when it behooves to spend much, it spends little or nothing.
Reply Obj. 3: Wastefulness is opposed to meanness by the very species
of its act, since it exceeds the rule of reason, whereas meanness
falls short of it. Yet nothing hinders this from being directed to
the end of another vice, such as vainglory or any other.
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