The Ethics of Aristotle - Penn State Hazleton

The Ethics of Aristotlewhich are contraries plainly do not.)[Sidenote:1121a] Again, should it happen to him to spendmoney beyond what is needful, or otherwise than is well, hewill be vexed, but only moderately and as he ought; for feelingpleasure and pain at right objects, and in right manner,is a property of Virtue.The Liberal man is also a good man to have for a partnerin respect of wealth: for he can easily be wronged, since hevalues not wealth, and is more vexed at not spending wherehe ought to have done so than at spending where he oughtnot, and he relishes not the maxim of Simonides.But the Prodigal man goes wrong also in these points, for heis neither pleased nor pained at proper objects or in propermanner, which will become more plain as we proceed. Wehave said already that Prodigality and Stinginess are respectivelystates of excess and defect, and this in two things, givingand receiving (expenditure of course we class under giving).Well now, Prodigality exceeds in giving and forbearing to receiveand is deficient in receiving, while Stinginess is deficientin giving and exceeds in receiving, but it is in small things.The two parts of Prodigality, to be sure, do not commonlygo together; it is not easy, I mean, to give to all if you receivefrom none, because private individuals thus giving will soonfind their means run short, and such are in fact thought tobe prodigal. He that should combine both would seem to beno little superior to the Stingy man: for he may be easilycured, both by advancing in years, and also by the want ofmeans, and he may come thus to the mean: he has, you see,already the facts of the Liberal man, he gives and forbears toreceive, only he does neither in right manner or well. So if hecould be wrought upon by habituation in this respect, orchange in any other way, he would be a real Liberal man, forhe will give to those to whom he should, and will forbear toreceive whence he ought not. This is the reason too why heis thought not to be low in moral character, because to exceedin giving and in forbearing to receive is no sign of badnessor meanness, but only of folly.[Sidenote:1121b] Well then, he who is Prodigal in this fashionis thought far superior to the Stingy man for the aforementionedreasons, and also because he does good to many,but the Stingy man to no one, not even to himself. But mostProdigals, as has been said, combine with their other faults86