A Capital Vice
Vainglory
St. Thomas treats it at II-II, q. 132. See also every passage on the topic page.
What It Is
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.
| “inordinate desire of glory” | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 2In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 414; Merkelbach I, n. 502; Noldin n. 336; Wouters n. 303; McHugh-Callan n. 2450; Marc n. 361; Vermeersch n. 469; Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 6; Merkelbach Pastoral, Q. I |
| What glory is: “the word glory properly denotes that somebody's good is known and approved by many” | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 1In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 414; Merkelbach II, n. 918; Merkelbach Pastoral, Q. I |
| Glory, honor and praise: “glory is an effect of honor and praise” | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 2In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 414; Merkelbach II, n. 918; Merkelbach Pastoral, Q. I |
| Vain in three ways. By what one glories in: “on the part of the thing for which one seeks glory” | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 1In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 502; Wouters n. 303; Vermeersch n. 469; Prümmer n. 414; Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 6 |
| By whom one seeks it from: “on the part of him from whom he seeks glory, for instance a man whose judgment is uncertain” | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 1In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 502; Wouters n. 303; Vermeersch n. 469; Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 6 |
| By the end one seeks it for: “for that he does not refer the desire of his own glory to a due end, such as God's honor, or the spiritual welfare of his neighbor” | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 1In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 502; Wouters n. 303; Vermeersch n. 469; Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 6 |
| Not pride itself: “vainglory covets the outward show of excellence” | St. Thomas II-II, q. 162, a. 8, ad 2In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 414; Wouters n. 456; Bontempi On pride, n. 47 |
| Why it is capital: “on account of its close connection with excellence, which men desire above all, it follows that it is most desirable” | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 4In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 2450; Merkelbach Pastoral, Q. I |
| Vanity, in Noldin's sense: “It is called vanity if someone seeks praise and honor from goods of lesser moment” | Noldin n. 336 |
What It Is Not
| Desiring glory: “the desire for glory does not, of itself, denote a sin” | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 1In nearly the same words: Merkelbach Pastoral, Q. I; Merkelbach II, n. 918 |
| Letting one's light shine: “it is not a sin to be willing to approve one's own good works” | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 1In nearly the same words: Merkelbach Pastoral, Q. I |
| A good name, for a good end: “It is requisite for man's perfection that he should know himself; but not that he should be known by others” | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 1, ad 3In nearly the same words: Merkelbach II, n. 919; Merkelbach Pastoral, Q. I |
| Striving to excel for a good end: “He does not commit the vice of vain glory who, on account of an honorable end, strives to excel” | Noldin n. 336In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 2450 |
| Not presumption or ambition: “Presumption regards the proximate matter: acts worthy of honor; ambition the remote matter: honors; vainglory the natural effect of honor: praise” | Merkelbach II, n. 918In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 2450 |
The Opposed Virtue
| “inordinate desire of glory is directly opposed to magnanimity” | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 2In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 414; Merkelbach II, n. 918; Vermeersch n. 469; Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 6; McHugh-Callan n. 2450 |
| By excess, in his own estimate: “if we consider his estimate, he is opposed to the magnanimous man by way of excess” | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 2, ad 2 |
| The virtue: “Magnanimity raises the soul to doing great things, or things worthy of great honor, yet proportioned to oneself.” | Vermeersch n. 470 |
| The other extreme: “To magnanimity by defect there is opposed pusillanimity” | Merkelbach II, n. 920In nearly the same words: Vermeersch n. 469; Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 18; Marc n. 361 |
| Vermeersch sets it against humility too: “also empty glory, which too greatly desires the manifestation of excellence” | Vermeersch n. 728 |
See Fortitude, and what the capital vices feed.
Its Gravity
| If consistent with charity: “it is not a mortal but a venial sin” | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 3In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 414; Merkelbach II, n. 918; Wouters n. 303; McHugh-Callan n. 2450; Marc n. 361; Vermeersch n. 469; Merkelbach Pastoral, Q. I |
| Why: “of itself it does not say anything against charity, but is only an inordination of the appetite of a thing indifferent according to itself” | Merkelbach II, n. 918In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 414 |
| Mortal by its matter: “when one glories in something false that is opposed to the reverence we owe God” | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 3In nearly the same words: Merkelbach II, n. 918; Merkelbach Pastoral, Q. I |
| Or glorying in sin: “if he glories concerning evil, namely, concerning a mortal sin committed” | Merkelbach II, n. 918In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 414; Vermeersch n. 469; Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 7; McHugh-Callan n. 2450 |
| Or by the end: “in that he refers his intention to glory as his last end” | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 3In nearly the same words: Merkelbach II, n. 918; Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 7; Prümmer n. 414 |
| Or by its harm: “as if on account of it a physician is unwilling to employ a colleague, with grave danger of health in the sick person” | Merkelbach II, n. 918In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 2450 |
| Even when venial, it costs the merit: “a virtuous deed loses its power to merit eternal life, if it be done for the sake of vainglory, even though that vainglory be not a mortal sin” | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 3, ad 1 |
| Dangerous: “Vainglory is stated to be a dangerous sin, not only on account of its gravity, but also because it is a disposition to grave sins” | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 3, ad 3 |
| Even in the good: “vainglory finds a place even in the servants of Christ” | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 3 |
The Daughters of Vainglory
The headings are St. Thomas's.
| Directly | |
|---|---|
| boasting | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 5; Prümmer n. 414; Merkelbach I, n. 502; Noldin n. 336; Wouters n. 303; Marc n. 361In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 2450; Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 8 |
| love of novelties | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 5In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 414; Merkelbach I, n. 502; Wouters n. 303; Marc n. 361; McHugh-Callan n. 2450; Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 8 |
| hypocrisy | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 5; Prümmer n. 414; Merkelbach I, n. 502; Noldin n. 336; Wouters n. 303; Marc n. 361; Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 8 |
| ostentation | Noldin n. 336; Bontempi On pride, n. 31; Sabetti-Barrett n. 140 |
| By showing oneself not less than others | |
| obstinacy | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 5In nearly the same words: Prümmer n. 414; Merkelbach I, n. 502; Wouters n. 303; Marc n. 361; McHugh-Callan n. 2450; Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 8 |
| discord | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 5; Prümmer n. 414; Merkelbach I, n. 502; Wouters n. 303; Marc n. 361; McHugh-Callan n. 2450; Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 8 |
| contention | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 5; Prümmer n. 414; Merkelbach I, n. 502; Wouters n. 303; Marc n. 361; McHugh-Callan n. 2450In nearly the same words: Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 8 |
| disobedience | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 5; Prümmer n. 414; Merkelbach I, n. 502; Wouters n. 303; Marc n. 361; McHugh-Callan n. 2450; Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 8 |
| Why these: “Now the end of vainglory is the manifestation of one's own excellence” | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132, a. 5In nearly the same words: Merkelbach I, n. 502; Merkelbach Pastoral, Q. I |
| Others also named | |
| Isidore's, in Bontempi: Contentions, Heresies, Boastfulness, and Presumption of novelty | Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimit, n. 16 |
| St. Bonaventure's, in Bontempi: Ambition for honor, the appetites of human favor, fear of confusion, and love of praise | Bontempi On pride, n. 25 |
The Remedies
The fuller lists are the manuals'. Where an author has no list, the entries are what that author says in passing, gathered from wherever it is said.
Merkelbach gives the remedies of pride and vainglory together, “one on the part of the mind, another on the part of work” (Pastoral, Q. I); the headings are his.
| The rest are given with pride: Remedies against pride and vain-glory | Merkelbach Pastoral, Q. I |
| On the part of the mind | |
|---|---|
| “Consideration of the vanity and transitoriness of the goods in which we are wont to glory” | Merkelbach Pastoral, Q. IIn nearly the same words: Marc n. 361; Spirago THE OPPOSITE OF HUMILITY: PRIDE |
| On the part of work | |
| “When we seek to please God only, the Lord will give us strength to conquer all vainglory.” | St. Alphonsus True Spouse, ch. XIXIn nearly the same words: Merkelbach Pastoral, Q. I; Bontempi On humility, n. 5 |
| Against the passing thought: “you need not annoy yourself by endeavoring to banish the temptation by contrary acts; it is better to pay no attention to the evil suggestion” | St. Alphonsus True Spouse, ch. XIX |
| Avoiding singularity: “to avoid, as a source of much vainglory, whatever is not conformable to the common usages of the monastery” | St. Alphonsus True Spouse, ch. VIIIIn nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 2554 |
| Poverty: “by voluntary poverty, one strips away the foods of vain glory which is contrary to humility” | Vermeersch n. 727 |
| For its sister ambition: “Ambition is cured chiefly by charity, for charity is not ambitious” | McHugh-Callan n. 2450 |
Where Each Author Treats It
| Among the capital sins | Prümmer n. 414; Merkelbach I, n. 502; Noldin n. 336; Wouters n. 303; Marc n. 361; Vermeersch n. 469 |
| Under magnanimity, against it by excess | St. Thomas II-II, q. 132; Merkelbach II, nn. 918-919; McHugh-Callan n. 2450; Bontempi On the vices opposed to magnanimity; Merkelbach Pastoral, Q. I |