|
Objection 1: It seems that liberality is not a part of justice.
For justice regards that which is due. Now the more a thing is due
the less liberally is it given. Therefore liberality is not a part of
justice, but is incompatible with it.
Objection 2: Further, justice is about operation as stated above
(Question 58, Article 9; FS, Question 60, Articles
2,3): whereas liberality is chiefly about the love and desire of
money, which are passions. Therefore liberality seems to belong to
temperance rather than to justice.
Objection 3: Further, it belongs chiefly to liberality to give
becomingly, as stated (Article 4). But giving becomingly belongs
to beneficence and mercy, which pertain to charity, as state above
(Questions 30,31). Therefore liberality is a part of charity
rather than of justice.
On the contrary, Ambrose says (De Offic. i): "Justice has to
do with the fellowship of mankind. For the notion of fellowship is
divided into two parts, justice and beneficence, also called
liberality or kind-heartedness." Therefore liberality pertains to
justice.
I answer that, Liberality is not a species of justice, since justice
pays another what is his whereas liberality gives another what is one's
own. There are, however, two points in which it agrees with
justice: first, that it is directed chiefly to another, as justice
is; secondly, that it is concerned with external things, and so is
justice, albeit under a different aspect, a stated in this Article
and above (Article 2, ad 3). Hence it is that liberality is
reckoned by some to be a part of justice, being annexed thereto as to a
principal virtue.
Reply to Objection 1: Although liberality does no consider the
legal due that justice considers, it considers a certain moral due.
This due is based on a certain fittingness and not on an obligation:
so that it answers to the idea of due in the lowest degree.
Reply to Objection 2: Temperance is about concupiscence in
pleasures of the body. But the concupiscence and delight in money is
not referable to the body but rather to the soul. Hence liberality
does not properly pertain to temperance.
Reply to Objection 3: The giving of beneficence and mercy proceeds
from the fact that a man has a certain affection towards the person to
whom he gives: wherefore this giving belongs to charity or friendship.
But the giving of liberality arises from a person being affected in a
certain way towards money, in that he desires it not nor loves it: so
that when it is fitting he gives it not only to his friends but also to
those whom he knows not. Hence it belong not to charity, but to
justice, which is about external things.
|
|