er matter. On the
other hand, in some operations, good and evil depend only on
commensuration with the agent. Consequently good and evil in these
operations depend on the way in which man is affected to them. And
for this reason in such like operations virtue must needs be chiefly
about internal emotions which are called the passions of the soul, as
is evidently the case with temperance, fortitude and the like.
It happens, however, in operations which are directed to another,
that the good of virtue is overlooked by reason of some inordinate
passion of the soul. In such cases justice is destroyed in so far as
the due measure of the external act is destroyed: while some other
virtue is destroyed in so far as the internal passions exceed their
due measure. Thus when through anger, one man strikes another,
justice is destroyed in the undue blow; while gentleness is destroyed
by the immoderate anger. The same may be clearly applied to other
virtues.
This suffices for the Replies to the Objections. For the first
considers operations as the effect of virtue, while the other two
consider operation and passion as concurring in the same effect. But
in some cases virtue is chiefly about operations, in others, about
passions, for the reason given above.
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THIRD ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 60, Art. 3]
Whether There Is Only One Moral Virtue About Operations?
Objection 1: It would seem that there is but one moral virtue about
operations. Because the rectitude of all external operations seems to
belong to justice. Now justice is but one virtue. Therefore there is
but one virtue about operations.
Obj. 2: Further, those operations seem to differ most, which are
directed on the one side to the good of the individual, and on the
other to the good of the many. But this diversity does not cause
diversity among the moral virtues: for the Philosopher says (Ethic.
v, 1) that legal justice, which directs human acts to the common
good, does not differ, save logically, from the virtue which directs
a man's actions to one man only. Therefore diversity of operations
does not cause a diversity of moral virtues.
Obj. 3: Further, if there are various moral virtues about various
operations, diversity of moral virtues would needs follow diversity
of operations. But this is clearly untrue: for it is the function of
justice to establish rectitude in various kinds of commutations, and
again in distributions, as is set down in
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