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Well, Aristotle writes that virtue is a mean between two extremes -- for example, courage is a mean between cowardice and foolhardiness. Let us suppose, then, that greed is a virtue. What would the two extremes be? On one side we could have avariciousness, or too much greed. But on the other side, what would we have? Not trying to acquire enough? But that hardly seems like a vice. Therefore, greed is not a virtue.
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"Die Deutschen meinen, daß die Kraft sich in Härte und Grausamkeit offenbaren müsse, sie unterwerfen sich dann gerne und mit Bewunderung:[...]. Daß es Kraft giebt in der Milde und Stille, das glauben sie nicht leicht."
"The Germans believe that power must reveal itself in hardness and cruelty and then submit themselves gladly and with admiration[...]. They do not believe readily that there is power in meekness and calm."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
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