Magnanimity

“Magnanimity by its very name denotes stretching forth of the mind to great things.” St. Thomas

St. Thomas treats it at II-II, qq. 129-133. Set against vainglory, a capital vice. Its place on the Fortitude page.

How the Authors Compare

What it is about first. St. Thomas: “magnanimity is about honors”, “immediately about the passions of hope, and mediately about honor” (II-II, q. 129, a. 1, II-II, q. 129, a. 1, ad 2); Bontempi likewise gives it “for its matter honors and dishonors” (On magnanimity, n. 1). Wouters puts the great works first: it is “consequently and secondarily” that it moderates the appetite for honor (n. 421); Merkelbach, that it “does not tend to great things on account of honor, but on account of their excellence” (II, n. 915).
An integral or a potential part of fortitude. St. Thomas: it is “annexed thereto as secondary to principal” (II-II, q. 129, a. 5), and Bontempi calls it “a certain potential part” (On magnanimity, n. 9). Noldin counts it among “the integral parts of fortitude”, which are “at the same time potential parts” (n. 278); Marc likewise calls them “integrating parts” (n. 406).
In whom it trusts. St. Thomas: “in so far as his own ability goes, it belongs to a magnanimous man to be confident in himself” (II-II, q. 129, a. 6, ad 1). Tanquerey: “the magnanimous man relies not so much on his own powers as on divine help, and places his trust especially in God” (n. 1067); Bontempi, that it is no presumption to attempt a work of virtue “with Divine help, which is denied to no one” (On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 3).

Each line is one thing said. Authors named first use those words. Those after “in nearly the same words” say the same thing differently; point at a name to see their words.

What It Is

St. Thomas: “Magnanimity by its very name denotes stretching forth of the mind to great things.”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 1
The manuals: “Magnanimity is a virtue inclining one to execute great works in every genus of virtue, which are truly worthy of great honor.”	Prümmer II, n. 626In nearly the same words: Merkelbach II, n. 915; Wouters n. 420; Tanquerey n. 1067; Noldin n. 278; Marc n. 406
McHugh-Callan's “greatness of soul”: “a virtue that inclines one to aspire after excellence in things most honorable, but to esteem and use honors themselves with moderation.”	McHugh-Callan n. 2448
Proportioned to oneself: “Magnanimity raises the soul to doing great things, or things worthy of great honor, yet proportioned to oneself.”	Vermeersch n. 470
St. Bonaventure's, in Bontempi: “It is a spontaneous and rational undertaking of difficult things.”	Bontempi On magnanimity, n. 2

What It Is Not

Not ambition: “It differs from ambition, which attacks great things on account of human honors”	Tanquerey n. 1067In nearly the same words: Merkelbach II, n. 915
Not greatness outside virtue: “he is not truly magnanimous who seeks great things outside virtue, because these are not truly great nor do they merit true honor”	Prümmer II, n. 626
Nor a scorn of honor that will not earn it: “If, however, one were to despise honors so as not to care to do what is worthy of honor, this would be deserving of blame.”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 1, ad 3
Not against humility: “Magnanimity is not opposed even to the most perfect humility.”	Prümmer II, n. 628In nearly the same words: Merkelbach II, n. 915; Tanquerey n. 1067; McHugh-Callan n. 2449
The gifts of God, and one's own defect: “There is in man something great which he possesses through the gift of God; and something defective which accrues to him through the weakness of nature.”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 3, ad 4In nearly the same words: Bontempi On magnanimity, n. 3
Not a lover of every danger: “A man is said to love danger when he exposes himself to all kinds of dangers, which seems to be the mark of one who thinks "many" the same as "great."”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 5, ad 2

Its Matter

Honors: “It follows therefore that magnanimity is about honors.”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 1In nearly the same words: Bontempi On magnanimity, n. 1
Why honor: “among these honor is the greatest simply, both because it is the most akin to virtue, since it is an attestation to a person's virtue”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 1
Hope, then honor: “Wherefore magnanimity is immediately about the passions of hope, and mediately about honor as the object of hope”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 1, ad 2In nearly the same words: Merkelbach II, n. 915
Great honor: “Magnanimity is not about any kind of honor, but great honor.”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 4, ad 1In nearly the same words: Prümmer II, n. 626
Small honors have a nameless virtue of their own: “Similarly also concerning honors there are two virtues: one indeed concerning moderate honors, which is unnamed (it could be called philotimy)”	Merkelbach II, n. 917In nearly the same words: Prümmer II, n. 626
Wouters: the works first, the honor second: “Moreover, because great honor is owed to great works, it also belongs consequently and secondarily to the virtue of magnanimity to moderate the appetite for honor.”	Wouters n. 421

Where It Belongs

A part of fortitude: “Hence magnanimity is reckoned a part of fortitude, because it is annexed thereto as secondary to principal.”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 5In nearly the same words: Bontempi On magnanimity, n. 9; Merkelbach II, n. 915
Why below it: “magnanimity agrees with fortitude in confirming the mind about some difficult matter; but it falls short thereof, in that it confirms the mind about a matter wherein it is easier to stand firm”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 5
Or an integral part: “The integral parts of fortitude are four: magnanimity, magnificence, patience, and perseverance or constancy.”	Noldin n. 278In nearly the same words: Marc n. 406
A special virtue: “honor, considered in itself, is a special good, and accordingly magnanimity considered in itself is a special virtue”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 4In nearly the same words: Bontempi On magnanimity, n. 8; Merkelbach II, n. 915
Yet touching all the virtues: “Since, however, honor is the reward of every virtue, as stated above (II-II:103:1 ad 2), it follows that by reason of its matter it regards all the virtues.”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 4
It makes them greater: “through magnanimity which makes all virtues greater”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 4, ad 3
Magnificence, its kin: “Magnificence seems to be a certain part of magnanimity”	Tanquerey n. 1069In nearly the same words: Marc n. 406

Toward God and Toward Others

Toward others: “magnanimity also contemns others insofar as they fall short of the gifts of God”	Prümmer II, n. 628
while humility honors them: “But humility honors others and esteems them superiors insofar as it beholds in them something of the gifts of God”	Prümmer II, n. 628In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 2449
Needing God, and others: “For every man needs, first, the Divine assistance, secondly, even human assistance, since man is naturally a social animal”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 6, ad 1
Trusting in God: “And so the magnanimous man relies not so much on his own powers as on divine help, and places his trust especially in God.”	Tanquerey n. 1067
Great before God: “wills to work those things which are great before God, because it befits a rational creature to intend not only those things which are common, but also those which are excellent”	Tanquerey n. 1067In nearly the same words: Merkelbach II, n. 915
Honor before God, not the world: “whence true magnanimity despises the riches, pleasures, and honors of this world, as being in reality of small moment; but it aspires to great honors before God”	Prümmer II, n. 626In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 2448; Bontempi On magnanimity, n. 3

Its Excellence

Confidence goes with it: “confidence belongs to magnanimity”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 6In nearly the same words: Merkelbach II, n. 917; Marc n. 406
And security: “so security belongs indirectly to magnanimity, in so far as it banishes despair”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 7In nearly the same words: Bontempi On magnanimity, n. 10
Goods of fortune serve it: “Hence it is evident that goods of fortune conduce to magnanimity.”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 8In nearly the same words: Merkelbach II, n. 917; Bontempi On magnanimity, n. 12
Yet he hangs nothing on them: “since the magnanimous man does not think much of external goods, that is goods of fortune, he is neither much uplifted by them if he has them, nor much cast down by their loss”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 8, ad 3
Unmoved by honor and dishonor: “he is not lifted up by great honors, because he does not reckon them above himself”	Merkelbach II, n. 915In nearly the same words: Tanquerey n. 1067
It reaches for the higher acts of every virtue: “It desires the higher manifestations of every virtue—the things that are more difficult and that befit a generous and elevated spirit, such as great austerity, great labor, great sacrifice, etc.”	McHugh-Callan n. 2448

Its Acts and Its Signs

Its mean: the greatest things, “the magnanimous in point of quantity goes to extremes”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 3, ad 1
yet by reason: “but in the matter of becomingness, he follows the mean”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 3, ad 1
“he deems himself worthy in accordance with his worth”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 3, ad 1
The habit in all the just; the act in great men: “Wherefore the act of magnanimity is not becoming to every virtuous man, but only to great men.”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 3, ad 2In nearly the same words: Prümmer II, n. 627; Merkelbach II, n. 917
Its signs, after Aristotle: moderate in honor, “the magnanimous man is moderately delighted by honors offered, even great ones”	Prümmer II, n. 629In nearly the same words: Merkelbach II, n. 916
even in fortune, “in prosperity and adversity he shows himself moderate”	Prümmer II, n. 629In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 2448
quick to give, slow to ask, “he willingly offers assistance to others, but he himself asks no one, or scarcely anyone, for assistance for himself”	Prümmer II, n. 629In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 2449
open of speech, “he speaks his opinion openly if it is necessary, for he does not fear men nor desire to flatter anyone”	Prümmer II, n. 629
forgetting injuries, “he does not remember injuries received, for this belongs to a base soul”	Prümmer II, n. 629
and unhurried. “the magnanimous is intent only on great things; these are few and require great attention, wherefore they call for slow movement”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 129, a. 3, ad 3In nearly the same words: Bontempi On magnanimity, n. 6

The Vices Opposed

By excess, three: “To magnanimity by excess there are opposed: presumption, ambition, and vainglory”	Merkelbach II, n. 918In nearly the same words: Wouters n. 422; Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 1; Noldin n. 278
Presumption: “Presumption (verwaandheid) or overconfidence is the inordinate appetite of attacking something above one's powers.”	Merkelbach II, n. 918In nearly the same words: Wouters n. 422
“it is not presumption to attempt a work of virtue with Divine help, which is denied to no one”	Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 3
Ambition: “Ambition (eerzucht) is an inordinate appetite for honor.”	Merkelbach II, n. 918In nearly the same words: Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 4
Vainglory, a capital vice: “Vainglory (roemzucht, ijdelheid) is an inordinate appetite for glory and reputation”	Merkelbach II, n. 918In nearly the same words: Wouters n. 422; Vermeersch n. 469
Pusillanimity, by defect: “To magnanimity by defect there is opposed pusillanimity.”	Merkelbach II, n. 920In nearly the same words: Wouters n. 422; Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 18
The buried talent: “thus that servant who on that account hid his talent was punished”	Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 18
Its gravity: “It is a mortal sin if it draws one back from a grave precept.”	Merkelbach II, n. 920In nearly the same words: Vermeersch n. 469