far as a man fears what he ought
not, and as he ought not, so too fearlessness is opposed thereto by
deficiency of fear, in so far as a man fears not what he ought to
fear.

Reply Obj. 1: The act of fortitude is to endure death without fear,
and to be aggressive, not anyhow, but according to reason: this the
fearless man does not do.

Reply Obj. 2: Fearlessness by its specific nature corrupts the mean
of fortitude, wherefore it is opposed to fortitude directly. But in
respect of its causes nothing hinders it from being opposed to other
virtues.

Reply Obj. 3: The vice of daring is opposed to fortitude by excess of
daring, and fearlessness by deficiency of fear. Fortitude imposes the
mean on each passion. Hence there is nothing unreasonable in its
having different extremes in different respects.
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QUESTION 127

OF DARING*
[*Excessive daring or foolhardiness]
(In Two Articles)

We must now consider daring; and under this head there are two points
of inquiry:

(1) Whether daring is a sin?

(2) Whether it is opposed to fortitude?
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FIRST ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 127, Art. 1]

Whether Daring Is a Sin?

Objection 1: It seems that daring is not a sin. For it is written
(Job 39:21) concerning the horse, by which according to Gregory
(Moral. xxxi) the godly preacher is denoted, that "he goeth forth
boldly to meet armed men [*Vulg.: 'he pranceth boldly, he goeth forth
to meet armed men']." But no vice redounds to a man's praise.
Therefore it is not a sin to be daring.

Obj. 2: Further, according to the Philosopher (Ethic. vi, 9), "one
should take counsel in thought, and do quickly what has been
counseled." But daring helps this quickness in doing. Therefore
daring is not sinful but praiseworthy.

Obj. 3: Further, daring is a passion caused by hope, as stated above
(I-II, Q. 45, A. 2) when we were treating of the passions. But hope
is accounted not a sin but a virtue. Neither therefore should daring
be accounted a sin.

_On the contrary,_ It is written (Ecclus. 8:18): "Go not on the way
with a bold man, lest he burden thee with his evils." Now no man's
fellowship is to be avoided save on account of sin. Therefore daring
is a sin.

_I answer that,_ Daring, as stated above (I-II, Q. 23, A. 1; Q. 55),
is a passion. Now a passion is sometimes moderated according to
reason, and sometimes it lacks moderation, either by excess or by
deficiency, and on this account the pas