Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It seems that presumption is not opposed to magnanimity by excess. For presumption is accounted a species of the sin against the Holy Ghost, as stated above (Question 14, Article 2; Question 21, Article 1). But the sin against the Holy Ghost is not opposed to magnanimity, but to charity. Neither therefore is presumption opposed to magnanimity.

Objection 2: Further, it belongs to magnanimity that one should deem oneself worthy of great things. But a man is said to be presumptuous even if he deem himself worthy of small things, if they surpass his ability. Therefore presumption is not directly opposed to magnanimity.

Objection 3: Further, the magnanimous man looks upon external goods as little things. Now according to the Philosopher (Ethic. iv, 3), "on account of external fortune the presumptuous disdain and wrong others, because they deem external goods as something great." Therefore presumption is opposed to magnanimity, not by excess, but only by deficiency.

On the contrary, The Philosopher says (Ethic. ii, 7; iv, 3) that the "vain man," i.e. a vaporer or a wind-bag, which with us denotes a presumptuous man, "is opposed to the magnanimous man by excess."

I answer that, As stated above (Question 129, Article 3, ad 1), magnanimity observes the means, not as regards the quantity of that to which it tends, but in proportion to our own ability: for it does not tend to anything greater than is becoming to us.

Now the presumptuous man, as regards that to which he tends, does not exceed the magnanimous, but sometimes falls far short of him: but he does exceed in proportion to his own ability, whereas the magnanimous man does not exceed his. It is in this way that presumption is opposed to magnanimity by excess.

Reply to Objection 1: It is not every presumption that is accounted a sin against the Holy Ghost, but that by which one contemns the Divine justice through inordinate confidence in the Divine mercy. The latter kind of presumption, by reason of its matter, inasmuch, to wit, as it implies contempt of something Divine, is opposed to charity, or rather to the gift of fear, whereby we revere God. Nevertheless, in so far as this contempt exceeds the proportion to one's own ability, it can be opposed to magnanimity.

Reply to Objection 2: Presumption, like magnanimity, seems to tend to something great. For we are not, as a rule, wont to call a man presumptuous for going beyond his powers in something small. If, however, such a man be called presumptuous, this kind of presumption is not opposed to magnanimity, but to that virtue which is about ordinary honor, as stated above (Question 129, Article 2).

Reply to Objection 3: No one attempts what is above his ability, except in so far as he deems his ability greater than it is. In this one may err in two ways. First only as regards quantity, as when a man thinks he has greater virtue, or knowledge, or the like, than he has. Secondly, as regards the kind of thing, as when he thinks himself great, and worthy of great things, by reason of something that does not make him so, for instance by reason of riches or goods of fortune. For, as the Philosopher says (Ethic. iv, 3), "those who have these things without virtue, neither justly deem themselves worthy of great things, nor are rightly called magnanimous."

Again, the thing to which a man sometimes tends in excess of his ability, is sometimes in very truth something great, simply as in the case of Peter, whose intent was to suffer for Christ, which has exceeded his power; while sometimes it is something great, not simply, but only in the opinion of fools, such as wearing costly clothes, despising and wronging others. This savors of an excess of magnanimity, not in any truth, but in people's opinion. Hence Seneca says (De Quat. Virtut.) that "when magnanimity exceeds its measure, it makes a man high-handed, proud, haughty restless, and bent on excelling in all things, whether in words or in deeds, without any considerations of virtue." Thus it is evident that the presumptuous man sometimes falls short of the magnanimous in reality, although in appearance he surpasses him.

Articulus 2

Argumentum 1

Ad secundum sic proceditur. Videtur quod praesumptio non opponatur magnanimitati per excessum. Praesumptio enim ponitur species peccati in spiritum sanctum, ut supra habitum est.

Sed peccatum in spiritum sanctum non opponitur magnanimitati, sed magis caritati. Ergo etiam neque praesumptio opponitur magnanimitati.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, ad magnanimitatem pertinet quod aliquis se magnis dignificet. Sed aliquis dicitur praesumptuosus etiam si se parvis dignificet, dummodo hoc excedat propriam facultatem.

Non ergo directe praesumptio magnanimitati opponitur.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, magnanimus exteriora bona reputat quasi parva.

Sed secundum philosophum, in IV ethic., praesumptuosi propter exteriorem fortunam fiunt despectores et iniuriatores aliorum, quasi magnum aliquid aestimantes exteriora bona.

Ergo praesumptio non opponitur magnanimitati per excessum, sed solum per defectum.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod philosophus, in II et IV ethic., dicit quod magnanimo per excessum opponitur chaunus, idest furiosus vel ventosus, quem nos dicimus praesumptuosum.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut supra dictum est, magnanimitas consistit in medio, non quidem secundum quantitatem eius in quod tendit, quia tendit in maximum, sed constituitur in medio secundum proportionem ad propriam facultatem; non enim in maiora tendit quam sibi conveniant. Praesumptuosus autem, quantum ad id in quod tendit, non excedit magnanimum, sed multum quandoque ab eo deficit. Excedit autem secundum proportionem suae facultatis, quam magnanimus non transcendit. Et hoc modo praesumptio opponitur magnanimitati per excessum.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod non quaelibet praesumptio ponitur peccatum in spiritum sanctum, sed illa qua quis divinam iustitiam contemnit ex inordinata confidentia divinae misericordiae.

Et talis praesumptio, ratione materiae, inquantum scilicet per eam contemnitur aliquid divinum, opponitur caritati, vel potius dono timoris, cuius est deum revereri. Inquantum tamen talis contemptus excedit proportionem propriae facultatis, potest opponi magnanimitati.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod sicut magnanimitas, ita et praesumptio in aliquid magnum tendere videtur, non enim multum consuevit dici aliquis praesumptuosus si in aliquo modico vires proprias transcendat. Si tamen praesumptuosus talis dicatur, haec praesumptio non opponitur magnanimitati, sed illi virtuti quae est circa mediocres honores, ut dictum est.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod nullus attentat aliquid supra suam facultatem nisi inquantum facultatem suam aestimat maiorem quam sit. Circa quod potest esse error dupliciter. Uno modo, secundum solam quantitatem, puta cum aliquis aestimat se habere maiorem virtutem vel scientiam, vel aliquid aliud huiusmodi, quam habeat. Alio modo, secundum genus rei, puta cum aliquis ex hoc aestimat se magnum et magnis dignum ex quo non est, puta propter divitias vel propter aliqua bona fortunae; ut enim philosophus dicit, in IV ethic., qui sine virtute talia bona habent, neque iuste magnis seipsos dignificant, neque recte magnanimi dicuntur.

Similiter etiam illud ad quod aliquis tendit supra vires suas, quandoque quidem secundum rei veritatem est magnum simpliciter, sicut patet de Petro, qui tendebat ad hoc quod pro christo pateretur, quod erat supra virtutem suam. Quandoque vero non est aliquid magnum simpliciter, sed solum secundum stultorum opinionem, sicut pretiosis vestibus indui, despicere et iniuriari aliis. Quod quidem pertinet ad excessum magnanimitatis non secundum rei veritatem, sed secundum opinionem.

Unde Seneca dicit, in libro de quatuor virtut., quod magnanimitas, si se extra modum suum extollat, faciet virum minacem, inflatum, turbidum, inquietum, et in quascumque excellentias dictorum factorumque, neglecta honestate, festinum.

Et sic patet quod praesumptuosus secundum rei veritatem quandoque deficit a magnanimo, sed secundum apparentiam in excessu se habet.