Oblicza umiarkowania. Cnota skromności w aretologii Tomasza z Akwinu
Faces of Temperance. The Virtues of Modesty in Arethology of Thomas Aquinas

Summary/Abstract: The paper presents an analysis of Thomas’ thought on the virtue of modesty and shows its relation to temperance and nobility. The matter of modesty is of lesser importance in the ethics of Thomas Aquinas. The virtue of modesty is subordinated to the virtue of temperance and its role is to help us shape our external steps and actions in order. When speaking of modesty Thomas willingly turns to the views of Cicero and Andronicus. In the Summa, in its parts dedicated to temperance, Aquinas analyses all kinds of modesty. Important among them is humility, which directly pertains to temperance. Its subject is to regulate our desire to be exceptional. Hence, humility gives us ability to proper self-esteem. All other virtues, which are kinds of modesty, regulate: our longing to knowledge, attitude toward neighbours, ways of spending our leisure time, ways of dressing up. Thomas points out in his texts that the process of achieving the virtue of modesty is not a complicated task, because its object does not cause any particular difficulties. Not as in the case of moderation, which needs auxiliary virtues in order to restraint our strong natural craving.

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