The Ethics of Aristotle - Penn State Hazleton

The Ethics of Aristotleso, of course, there is really no name for such characters, but,as they are conceivable, we will give them one and call theminsensible.III. In respect of giving and taking wealth (a):The mean state is Liberality, the excess Prodigality, the defectStinginess: here each of the extremes involves really anexcess and defect contrary to each other: I mean, the prodigalgives out too much and takes in too little, while the stingyman takes in too much and gives out too little. (It must beunderstood that we are now giving merely an outline andsummary, intentionally: and we will, in a later part of thetreatise, draw out the distinctions with greater exactness.)IV. In respect of wealth (b):There are other dispositions besides these just mentioned;a mean state called Munificence (for the munificent mandiffers from the liberal, the former having necessarily to dowith great wealth, the latter with but small); the excess calledby the names either of Want of taste or Vulgar Profusion,and the defect Paltriness (these also differ from the extremesconnected with liberality, and the manner of their differenceshall also be spoken of later).V. In respect of honour and dishonour (a):The mean state Greatness of Soul, the excess which maybe called braggadocio, and the defect Littleness of Soul.VI. In respect of honour and dishonour (b):[Sidenote: 1108a]Now there is a state bearing the same relation to Greatnessof Soul as we said just now Liberality does to Munificence,with the difference that is of being about a small amount ofthe same thing: this state having reference to small honour,as Greatness of Soul to great honour; a man may, of course,grasp at honour either more than he should or less; now hethat exceeds in his grasping at it is called ambitious, he thatfalls short unambitious, he that is just as he should be has noproper name: nor in fact have the states, except that the dispositionof the ambitious man is called ambition. For thisreason those who are in either extreme lay claim to the meanas a debateable land, and we call the virtuous character sometimesby the name ambitious, sometimes by that of unambitious,and we commend sometimes the one and sometimesthe other. Why we do it shall be said in the subsequent partof the treatise; but now we will go on with the rest of the52