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Objection 1: It seems that covetousness is not aa sin. For
covetousness [avaritia] denotes a certain greed for gold [aeris
aviditas], because, to wit, it consists in a desire for money,
under which all external goods may be comprised. Now it is not a sin
to desire external goods: since man desires them naturally, both
because they are naturally subject to man, and because by their means
man's life is sustained (for which reason they are spoken of as his
substance). Therefore covetousness is not a sin.
Objection 2: Further, every sin is against either God, or one's
neighbor, or oneself, as stated above (FS, Question 72,
Article 4). But covetousness is not, properly speaking, a sin
against God: since it is opposed neither to religion nor to the
theological virtues, by which man is directed to God. Nor again is
it a sin against oneself, for this pertains properly to gluttony and
lust, of which the Apostle says (1 Cor. 6:18): "He that
committeth fornication sinneth against his own body." In like manner
neither is it apparently a sin against one's neighbor, since a man
harms no one by keeping what is his own. Therefore covetousness is not
a sin.
Objection 3: Further, things that occur naturally are not sins.
Now covetousness comes naturally to old age and every kind of defect,
according to the Philosopher (Ethic. iv, 1). Therefore
covetousness is not a sin.
On the contrary, It is written (Heb. 13:5): "Let your
manners be without covetousness, contented with such things as you
have."
I answer that, In whatever things good consists in a due measure,
evil must of necessity ensue through excess or deficiency of that
measure. Now in all things that are for an end, the good consists in
a certain measure: since whatever is directed to an end must needs be
commensurate with the end, as, for instance, medicine is commensurate
with health, as the Philosopher observes (Polit. i, 6).
External goods come under the head of things useful for an end, as
stated above (Question 117, Article 3; FS, Question 2,
Article 1). Hence it must needs be that man's good in their
respect consists in a certain measure, in other words, that man
seeks, according to a certain measure, to have external riches, in so
far as they are necessary for him to live in keeping with his condition
of life. Wherefore it will be a sin for him to exceed this measure,
by wishing to acquire or keep them immoderately. This is what is meant
by covetousness, which is defined as "immoderate love of
possessing." It is therefore evident that covetousness is a sin.
Reply to Objection 1: It is natural to man to desire external
things as means to an end: wherefore this desire is devoid of sin, in
so far as it is held in check by the rule taken from the nature of the
end. But covetousness exceeds this rule, and therefore is a sin.
Reply to Objection 2: Covetousness may signify immoderation about
external things in two ways. First, so as to regard immediately the
acquisition and keeping of such things, when, to wit, a man acquires
or keeps them more than is due. In this way it is a sin directly
against one's neighbor, since one man cannot over-abound in external
riches, without another man lacking them, for temporal goods cannot be
possessed by many at the same time. Secondly, it may signify
immoderation in the internal affection which a man has for riches when,
for instance, a man loves them, desires them, or delights in them,
immoderately. In this way by covetousness a man sins against himself,
because it causes disorder in his affections, though not in his body as
do the sins of the flesh.
As a consequence, however, it is a sin against God, just as all
mortal sins, inasmuch as man contemns things eternal for the sake of
temporal things.
Reply to Objection 3: Natural inclinations should be regulated
according to reason, which is the governing power in human nature.
Hence though old people seek more greedily the aid of external things,
just as everyone that is in need seeks to have his need supplied, they
are not excused from sin if they exceed this due measure of reason with
regard to riches.
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