Liber I, Pars II — Quid est magnanimitas et circa quae habet esse, et quomodo possumus nosipsos magnanimos facere. Cap. XXII.

Liber I, Pars II — Quid est magnanimitas et circa quae habet esse, et quomodo possumus nosipsos magnanimos facere. Cap. XXII.

Some external goods (as mentioned above) are useful, like money, and generally anything that can be measured by coin. However, some are good and honorable, such as honors. Just as there is a dual virtue regarding useful goods, one that looks to great expenses, like magnificence, and another that looks to the moderate, like liberality; so too, there is a dual virtue regarding honorable goods, one that looks to great honors, like magnanimity, and another that looks to the moderate, which can be called honor-loving. In great honors, however, one can relate to them in three ways. For some fail in these matters, becoming timid. Others, on the contrary, are overly ambitious, becoming presumptuous. Some, however, conduct themselves in a way that befits the magnanimous. For we see some who are capable of undertaking great, powerful, and difficult tasks; yet, led by a certain timidity, they withdraw from such great endeavors. Some, therefore, fail in such matters. But some, on the contrary, are excessive, thrusting themselves into matters they cannot properly handle, whom the philosopher calls 'chaotic' or 'windbags.' We can, however, call them presumptuous. The magnanimous person, however, is in between the timid and the presumptuous. For they do not shrink back from great tasks that they can undertake with dignity, as the timid do. Nor do they thrust themselves into things they cannot handle with dignity, as the presumptuous do. Therefore, it is clear what magnanimity is. For just as liberality, which is a mean between greed and extravagance, is a certain virtue that restrains greed and moderates extravagance, so magnanimity, because it is a mean between timidity and presumption, is a virtue that restrains timidity and moderates presumptions. It’s clear what magnanimity is, as it is evident in trivial matters. However, the Philosopher seems to suggest otherwise. Ethics. To will magnanimity is to focus on honors, wealth, and power, and generally on all fortunes and misfortunes; however, it is not equally focused on all these things. For magnanimity is primarily concerned with great honors, not just any honors, but great ones. Consequently, it is also concerned with wealth and power, and with fortunes and misfortunes. For according to the Philosopher, among external goods, honor is the greatest. For wealth, power, and other external goods are not as valuable as honor, because most people pursue these things to gain honor. As was said about courage, it is primarily concerned with military dangers, since those are the most difficult: consequently, it is also about other dangers, so that a brave person knows how to behave properly in other situations. Thus, courage is primarily about honors, as if they are the greatest external goods; consequently, it also concerns wealth, power, and other external goods, so that a courageous person knows how to conduct themselves properly in possessing wealth and power, and in enduring fortunes and misfortunes. For courage is like a good tetragon, which is never thrown off balance. If he is honored, or if great fortunes come his way, he is not lifted up. But if he is dishonored, and great misfortunes come upon him, he is not cast down. In any state, a courageous person knows how to conduct themselves properly. For it pertains to the coward to not know how to bear fortunes. Therefore, Andron. The actions of cowardice are those that cannot bear honor, dishonor, good fortune, or misfortune. But an honored person swells with pride, and a person of little fortune is easily lifted up. Now, let’s clarify what magnanimity is and what it entails. It remains to show how we can make ourselves magnanimous. Among other things that draw us to magnanimity, it is trivial to value external goods, whatever they may be, whether they are honors, positions of power, wealth, or any other such goods. For it has been said that a coward does not know how to bear fortune, but is lifted up by a little fortune and is brought low by misfortune. A magnanimous person, however, does not act this way; rather, as has been said, they know how to bear fortune and know how to conduct themselves properly in any situation. Thus, the magnanimous person is not swayed by external circumstances, but remains steadfast and composed. The reason someone doesn't know how to handle fortune is that they place too much value on external goods. Therefore, when someone acquires something from such goods, it seems to them that they have gained everything, and they become puffed up. But when they lose something from those goods, it seems to them that they have lost everything, and they are cast down. So if we value the works of virtue and do not value external goods, except inasmuch as they are instruments for virtue, we will truly be magnanimous and will know how to handle fortune. For if we are increased in wealth and in external goods, we will not be exalted, since we do not consider such things to be the greatest goods in themselves. And if it happens that we suffer misfortune regarding these things, we will bear it with dignity, since we do not regard them highly.