Vice opposed to meanness

Often appears with: wastefulness · vainglory · justice as a virtue · flattery and deceit

Summa Theologica, Part II-II (Secunda Secundae) primary

Thomas, Aquinas, Saint · c. 1271–1273 (Part II-II written within this period)
PART II-II ("Secunda Secundae") > i.e. proportionate, "expenditure." Now expenditure is the outlay of a sum of money; and a man may be hindered from making that outlay if he love money too much. Hence the matter of magnificence may be said to be both this expenditure itself, which the magnificent man uses to produce a great work, and also the very money which he employs in going to great expense, and as well as the love of money, which love the magnificent man moderates, lest he be hindered from spending much. (4/204)

He explains that a vice is indeed opposed to meanness, identified as wastefulness that spends more than the work merits, and he distinguishes this from the mean and from magnificence in both act and end.

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 wher…