ce temporal
goods cannot be simultaneously possessed by many. The other way in
which avarice may involve immoderation is in interior affection....'
These words must not be taken to condemn the acquisition of large
fortunes by capitalists, which is very often necessary in order that
the natural resources of a country may be properly exploited. One
man's possession of great wealth is at the present day frequently the
means of opening up new sources of wealth and revenue to the entire
community. In other words, superabundance is a relative term. This,
like many other passages of St. Thomas, must be given a _contemporanea
expositio_. 'There were no capitalists in the thirteenth century, but
only hoarders.'[3]

[Footnote 1: II. ii. 118, 4.]

[Footnote 2: _Ibid._, ad. 1.]

[Footnote 3: Rickaby, _Aquinas Ethicus_, vol. ii. p. 234.]

It must also be remembered that what would be considered avarice in
a man in one station of life would not be considered such in a man in
another. So long as one did not attempt to acquire an amount of wealth
disproportionate to the needs of one's station of life, one could not
be considered avaricious. Thus a common soldier would be avaricious if
he strove to obtain a uniform of the quality worn by an officer, and
a simple cleric if he attempted to clothe himself in a style only
befitting a bishop.[1]

[Footnote 1: Aquinas, _In Orat. Dom. Expos_., iv. Ashley gives many
quotations from early English literature to show how fully the idea of
_status_ was accepted (_Economic History_, vol. i. pt. ii. p. 389).
On the warfare waged by the Church on luxury in the Middle Ages, see
Baudrillard, _Histoire du Luxe prive et publique_, vol. iii. pp. 630
_et seq._]

The avaricious man offended against liberality by caring too much
about riches; the prodigal, on the other hand, cared too little about
them, and did not attach to them their proper value. 'In affection
while the prodigal falls short, not taking due care of them, in
exterior behaviour it belongs to the prodigal to exceed in giving, but
to fail in keeping or acquiring, while it belongs to the miser to
come short in giving, but to superabound in getting and in
keeping. Therefore it is clear that prodigality is the opposite of
covetousness.'[1] A man, however, might commit both sins at the same
time, by being unduly anxious to acquire wealth which he distributed
prodigally.[2] Prodigality could always be distinguished from extreme
liberality b