188 ARISTOTLE
extreme, but by the standard of what is right he occupies the median; for his claims
correspond to his deserts, whereas the others exceed or fall short.
Accordingly, if a high-minded man thinks he deserves and actually does deserve
great things, especially the greatest, there is one matter that will be his major concern.
“Deserts” is a relative term that refers to external goods; and as the greatest external
good, we may posit that which we pay as a tribute to the gods, for which eminent peo-
ple strive most, and which is the prize for the noblest achievements. Honor fits that
description, for it is the greatest of external goods. Consequently, it is in matters of
honor and dishonor that a high-minded man has the right attitude. It is an obvious fact,
and need not be argued, that the high-minded are concerned with honor. For they regard
themselves as worthy of honor above all else, but of an honor that they deserve. A
small-minded man falls short both in view of his own deserts and in relation to the
claims of a high-minded person, while a vain man exceeds his own deserts but does not
exceed the high-minded.
This means that the high-minded man, inasmuch as he deserves what is greatest,
is the best. For the deserts of the better man are always greater, and those of the best
man the greatest. It follows that a truly high-minded man must be good. And what is
great in each virtue would seem to be the mark of a high-minded person. It would be
quite out of character for him to run away in battle with arms swinging or to do wrong
to anyone. For what motive does he have to act basely, he to whom nothing is great? If
we were to examine [his qualities] one by one, we should see the utter absurdity of
thinking of a high-minded man as being anything but good. If he were base, he would
not even deserve honor, for honor is the prize of excellence and virtue, and it is reserved
as a tribute to the good. High-mindedness thus is the crown, as it were, of the virtues: it
magnifies them and it cannot exist without them. Therefore, it is hard to be truly high-
minded and, in fact, impossible without goodness and nobility.
A high-minded man is, then, primarily concerned with honor and dishonor. From
great honors and those that good men confer upon him he will derive a moderate
amount of pleasure, convinced that he is only getting what is properly his or even less.
For no honor can be worthy of perfect virtue. Yet he will accept it, because they have no
greater tribute to pay to him. But he will utterly despise honors conferred by ordinary
people and on trivial grounds, for that is not what he deserves. Similarly, he will despise
dishonor, for no dishonor can be justified in his case. A high-minded man, as we have
stated, is concerned primarily with honors. But he will of course also have a moderate
attitude toward wealth, power, and every manner of good or bad luck that may befall
him. He will not be overjoyed when his luck is good, nor will bad luck be very painful
to him. For even toward honor, his attitude is that it is not of the greatest moment. Power
and wealth are desirable for the honor they bring; at any rate, those who have them wish
to gain honor through them. But a person who attaches little importance even to honor
will also attach little importance to power and wealth. As a result, he is regarded as
haughty.
Gifts of fortune, it is believed, also contribute to high-mindedness. Men of noble
birth, of power, or of wealth are regarded as worthy of honor, since they occupy a superior
position, and whatever is superior in goodness is held in greater honor. That is why the
gifts of fortune make men more high-minded, for they are honored by some people [for
having them]. But in truth it is the good man alone that ought to be honored, though a man
who has both excellence and good fortune is regarded as still more worthy of honor.
Whoever possesses the goods of fortune without possessing excellence or virtue is not
justified in claiming great deserts for himself, nor is it correct to call him high-minded, for20253035
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