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Hannah Croy

Mr. Clark

Honors British Literature 12

13 March 2018

Vice & Virtue

I. Avarice & Generosity

In the late 17th century, Sir Isaac Newton first presented his law of motion which states, “for

every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction” (Newton’s Third Law). This law reigns true

in many aspects of life, ironically in the actions one exhibits. Avarice is an inordinate love for

riches (Delany). The ‘love for riches’ is different for every sinner. Avarice creates a deep seeded

need to posses the best and/or most of a current or highly valued material good. The danger

behind extreme greed is that it can be disguised as a virtue by “insinuating itself under the

pretext of making a decent provision for the future”. Desiring wealth in a sense of obtaining it for

purpose of well-being is not sinful, however, the “incentive to [unjustly acquire and retain]

wealth” in order to satisfy an “excessive desire of, or pleasure in” riches is what defines avarice

as a mortal sin. The sin also deliberately breaks two of the Ten Commandments, ninth and tenth,

which forbid avarice (Kocik).

Generosity is integral to combating and resisting avaricious tendencies. The virtue’s nature of

“readiness and liberality in giving” (Generosity) juxtaposes avaricious actions.

The usage of the excessive money and/or goods can benefit others in need. “The highest

gift… [given] to another is the gift of ourselves” (Demarco). Our greatest example is God the

Creator. His continuous acts of generosity and “gift of himself” to the Christian community is

generosity in its most perfect form. The New Testament is evidence of the most generous and
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kind act God has done, sending his only son, Jesus, to the world. Jesus was the ultimate example

of how generosity counteracted avarice.

Mark 10: 18 – 28 accounts a young, rich man approaching Jesus asking to become a

disciple. Jesus replies, “One thing you lack… Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor,

and you will have treasure in heaven”. The young man proceeds to walk away slowly, as he

cherished his wealth and goods. Jesus turns and asks his disciples, “how hard is it for a rich man

to enter the kingdom of God?” Baffled by Jesus’ question, the disciples stood speechless. Jesus

repeated, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go

through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God… With

man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God”. The disciples of

Jesus left their worldly possessions to follow Him. The young, rich, avaricious man could have

found his most desired treasure if only he generously gave his goods to the poor and followed

Jesus openly. The young man’s love for riches pushed God away, causing him to commit the

moral sin avarice.

II. Wisdom from the Past

The seven deadly sins are called as they are for the distinct reason that they deliberately

contradict the Ten Commandments and natural laws. Many past saints and religious leaders have

advised against falling into avaricious tendencies, especially St. John Climacus who says,

Avarice is said to be the root of all evil (1 Tim. 6:10), and it is so because it causes

hatred, theft, envy, separation, hostility, stormy blasts, remembrance of past wrongs,

inhuman acts and even murder. A small fire can burn down and entire forest. But one

virtue can help many escape all the vices mentioned above. That virtue is detachment,

which is a withdrawal from all evil desires, and which grows from an experience and
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taste of the knowledge of God and from a meditation on the account to be rendered at

death.

Climacus explains that avarice is especially dangerous because of its inclination to cause

others to sin. Leading another human into sin is just as bad, if not worse, then committing the sin

themself. “A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare. The violence

of the wicked will drag them away, for they refuse to do what is right. The way of the guilty is

devious, but the conduct of the innocent is upright” (Proverbs 21: 6 – 8).

III. Avarice & Generosity Today

Today, society is full of people diseased by affluenza. Affluenza is a combination of two

words: affluence and influenza.

“The word affluence means having a great deal of money. Influenza is a highly contagious

and potentially fatal disease. When you mash these two together, you get affluenza, which is

a useful word for describing the problems generated by a rich consumer culture that has an

endless hunger for more stuff” (Harris, Joshua).

The biggest and worst part of society being contaminated by affluenza is that it spreads rapidly,

affecting everyone and everything in its path.

Pravin Gordhan was the Minister of Finance for South Africa from 2009 until 2014 and again

in 2015 until a “cabinet shuffle” in 2017 (Niselow). When questioned about corruption and State

Capture, Gordhan blamed a single disease which needed to be addressed: greed.

Greed is a key driving force of behavior in the current economic system. This disease of

greed must be addressed as it corrupts society. It is remarkable how big institutions,

proclaiming their values and standards, are then seen as the ones whose behavior and

activities do the opposite in terms of undermining the integrity we want to see. An

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economic model that reinforces inequality and promotes greed rather than empathy

inspires wrong behaviors. It must combine with profound social justice at the heart of

business practices otherwise it will constantly cause tension.

The original sin of Adam and Eve displayed how greed can captivate the purest of people and

turn them away from what is true and right. Big corporations and the government are no

different. The need for the biggest, best, and most profitable goods have blinded people from the

common goal: the benefit of the product/ business for society. This common goal is also missed

on the microlevel as well. Inside small communities and families there is competition and

inordinate desires to have the best and the most. High end businesses in return are benefiting

greatly by providing organic produce, overpriced clothing, and ‘build – your – own’

atmospheres. Society is captivated by the ‘shiny new toys’ and business practices are igniting the

competition.

IV. Applying the Wisdom of the Past

A “dynamic impulse toward towards generosity is implanted in the depth of man’s being

(Demarco). Generosity, unlike avarice, has no limits; as love and compassion have no end.

When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers. Whoever strays

from the path of prudence comes to rest in the company of the dead. Whoever loves

pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich. The

wicked become a ransom for the righteous, and the unfaithful for the upright. (Proverbs

21)

Avoiding avaricious actions and temptations takes great strength and perseverance. Through

mindfulness, awareness, and trust in God, one will be able to fight against sin and excel in the

virtue of generosity. One may enjoy collecting or the presence or riches, however, must
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acknowledge that they are a material good incapable of assisting them in reaching their greatest

desire – salvation.
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Work Cited

Climacus, St. John. “Avarice Archives.” Eucharistic Virtue, eucharisticvirtue.com/tag/avarice/

Delany, Joseph. "Avarice." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert

Appleton Company, 1907. 7 Mar. 2018 http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02148b.htm>

Demarco, Donald. “The Virtue of Generosity.” Catholic Education Resource Center, Lay

Witness, www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/the-virtue-of-

generosity.html

“Generosity.” Virtue First Foundation, virtuefirst.org/virtues/generosity/

Haden, Alexis, and Jimmy Sinclair. “Disease of Greed.” The South African, Blue Sky

Publications Ltd, 10 Nov. 2017, www.thesouthafrican.com/this-disease-of-greed-must-

be-addressed-pravin-gordhan/

Harris, Joshua, et al. “Affluenza: The Disease of Greed.” Preaching Today,

www.preachingtoday.com/sermons/sermons/2010/july/affluenzathediseaseofgreed.html.

Kocik, Father Thomas. “Avarice.” The Seven Deadly Sins and Their Remedies, OnePeterFive,

22 Oct. 2014, onepeterfive.com/seven-deadly-sins-remedies/

Mark 10:18 -28 NIV - Bible Gateway. Biblica, Inc., 2011,

www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark+10:18+-30&version=NIV.

“Newton's Third Law.” The Physics Classroom,

www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/Lesson-4/Newton-s-Third-Law.

Niselow, Tehillah, and Jan Cronje. “Pravin Gordhan.” Fin24, 26 Feb. 2018,

www.fin24.com/Economy/pravin-gordhan-back-this-time-as-minister-of-public-

enterprises-20180226.
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Proverbs 21 NIV – Bible Gateway. Biblica, Inc., 2011,

www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+21&version=NIV

Sales, St. Francis de. “Avarice Archives.” Eucharistic Virtue, eucharisticvirtue.com/tag/avarice/

Kwasniewski, Peter A. Self-Love and the Sin of Avarice. The Catholic Faith 4, no. 2

(March/April 1998): 45-52