icult
to avoid.

Accordingly shame may be lacking in a person in two ways. First,
because the things that should make him ashamed are not deemed by him
to be disgraceful; and in this way those who are steeped in sin are
without shame, for instead of disapproving of their sins, they boast
of them. Secondly, because they apprehend disgrace as impossible to
themselves, or as easy to avoid. In this way the old and the virtuous
are not shamefaced. Yet they are so disposed, that if there were
anything disgraceful in them they would be ashamed of it. Wherefore
the Philosopher says (Ethic. iv, 9) that "shame is in the virtuous
hypothetically."

Reply Obj. 1: Lack of shame occurs in the best and in the worst men
through different causes, as stated in the Article. In the average
men it is found, in so far as they have a certain love of good, and
yet are not altogether free from evil.

Reply Obj. 2: It belongs to the virtuous man to avoid not only vice,
but also whatever has the semblance of vice, according to 1 Thess.
5:22, "From all appearance of evil refrain yourselves." The
Philosopher, too, says (Ethic. iv, 9) that the virtuous man should
avoid "not only what is really evil, but also those things that are
regarded as evil."

Reply Obj. 3: As stated above (A. 1, ad 1) the virtuous man despises
ignominy and reproach, as being things he does not deserve, wherefore
he is not much ashamed of them. Nevertheless, to a certain extent,
shame, like the other passions, may forestall reason.

Reply Obj. 4: Shamefacedness is a part of temperance, not as though
it entered into its essence, but as a disposition to it: wherefore
Ambrose says (De Offic. i, 43) that "shamefacedness lays the first
foundation of temperance," by inspiring man with the horror of
whatever is disgraceful.
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QUESTION 145

OF HONESTY*
(In Four Articles)
[*Honesty must be taken here in its broad sense as synonymous with
moral goodness, from the point of view of decorum.]

We must now consider honesty, under which head there are four points
of inquiry:

(1) The relation between the honest and the virtuous;

(2) Its relation with the beautiful [*As honesty here denotes moral
goodness, so beauty stands for moral beauty];

(3) Its relation with the useful and the pleasant;

(4) Whether honesty is a part of temperance?
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FIRST ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 145, Art. 1]

Whether Honesty Is the Same As Virtue?

Objec