Gratitude and Liberality

It has become common wisdom that gift-giving is predicated on reciprocity; as an eminent scholar wrote over a century ago, “To requite a benefit, or to be grateful to him who bestows it, is probably everywhere, at least under certain circumstances, regarded as a duty.” Is it possible, then, to bestow a gift freely, without expectation of compensation; or, to put it differently, is gratitude obligatory? This chapter explores ancient conceptions of liberality as a virtue, freely granted favors, and gratitude, as discussed by Cicero, Seneca, and Aristotle, and argues that gratitude is not a response to generosity as such but rather to the love that is manifested in the act of giving.