Liberality or Generosity

Liberality is a virtue, for it puts to good use the things that might be used for evil purposes-such, for instance, as money or other material things.

And, indeed, liberality deals, first and foremost, with money. A liberal man is an open-handed man, who is ready to”liberate” money from his own possession, and thus shows that he is not inordinately attached to it.

The proper act of liberality, therefore, consists in making good use of money. Liberality demands that one’s debts be paid, and that suitable gifts be made. Merely to be careless with money, neglecting to save what is needed to meet expenses andto have the means of making gifts, is not liberality.

Parting with money by giving it to others is a greater act of virtue than parting with it in fulfilling one’s own desires, that is, spending it on oneself. The liberal man is praised for giving.

Liberality seems to be allied with justice, even though it gives more than is strictly due. Therefore, it is reckoned by many as a part of justice, that is, a virtue connected with justice but not having equal scope with it.

Liberality is a gracious and notable virtue, but it is notthe greatest of virtues.