[lit-ideas] Re: RE: [lit-ideas] aretê - Greek for virtue (was: Query)
- From: Walter Okshevsky <wokshevs@xxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2004 11:09:32 -0230 (NDT)
Bill --
There are many who contend that my manly virtues are virtuous to a fault.
Virtues are relative sorts of things. I think it was Aristotle herself
who recognized that a courageous woman will be perceived as a reckless
woman by a coward, and a coward by a reckless woman.
For multiculturally pluralist societies, the way to go is in a more
kantian direction: design and formulate fundamental principles of rights
and responsibilities within a Charter (Canada) or Constitution (US)
and assess these along criteria of universalizability. "Vital well-being,"
conceptions of the good/virtuous life, the arete of human being, are thus
promoted but are reasonably limited in light of the criteria. As Rawls,
succinctly puts it, the churches are free to excommunicate heretics and
apostates to their hearts' content ... but they can't burn them.
No Chianti today, just a dram (or two) of Craganmore while watching the
Canadian Supreme Court wonder whether it realy should engage in judicial
activism.
Cheers, Walter
Memorial U
On Tue, 5 Oct 2004, William Ball wrote:
> Richard Henninge's comments on the Greek "arete" and its usual
> translation as "virtue" are pretty much as I understand it. Beyond that,
> I believe it means more specifically, excellence, but more like
> "excellence at something." Thus, as I remember from volume I of Jaeger's
> PAEDEIA, one would speak of the excellence of the cobbler, or the arete
> of the statesman, or the excellence of the arrow on its journey to and
> arrival at the target.
>
> When we use that as our understanding, the so-called Socratic enigma of
> "arete este episteme" becomes less enigmatic when we understand Socrates
> (Plato) to mean "excellence at anything is knowledge [complete] of that
> something." Therefore, Aristotle's definition of eudaimonia [vital well
> being] becomes "an activity of the psyche in accordance with excellence
> at recognizing and practicing "vital well being" over a complete life
> with a minimum of external necessities," arete being an internal virtue.
>
> Also, a colleague of mine reminded me that "virtue" has to do with the
> idea of being manly, 'vir,' although gender would be hardly relevant
> today, except that for some strange reason one usually refers to a woman
> as being virtuous, and not usually a man's being so.
>
> But that's as I worked it out up till now and I welcome any comment on
> my thoughts, adverse or otherwise.
>
> Kind regards to all,
>
> William Ball
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------------------
> =20
>
> Richard notes:
>
> You're probably thinking of "aret=EA," which can mean the quality or
> excellence of a thing, and thus, for an arrow, its ability to fly true
> and
> strike through, for a pitcher its quality or talent for holding liquids,
> though part of that is, in a pinch, adaptable to striking (small)
> animals
> (see American films of the twentios). I mention adaptable because it
> appears
> that the noun "aret=EA" is derived from a verb meaning to adjust,
> originally
> in the sense of to tighten, as in clothing, or a belt, bridle and
> harnesses
> to a field animal for plowing, or in arming for battle. Homer, in the
> Iliad
> 13:800, describes the Trojans as being "tightened," drawn up in close
> ranks,
> and therefore very resistant, very strong. The word "aret=EA" can also =
> be
> applied in a moral sense, a soul can be so composed, a mind so formed,
> that
> it is "sharp."
>
> The virtue Kant is talking about in the Critique of Practical Reason is
> very
> similar to this Greek ideal. His virtual revulsion at the inclinations
> that
> trouble human beings and make them weak, both morally and intellectually
> (he
> might even add physically), seemed to be the motor driving him in the
> direction of the a pr=EDori. The German word for virtue, "Tugend," has =
> its
> roots in "taugen," meaning that something is usable, is fitting, suited
> for
> the job it is expected to perform. A worthless person is referred to as
> a
> "Taugenichts," a "good-for-nothing," and in that you can see how
> "virtue"
> can be related with a sense of "good," and eventually to the Good in
> general. The French, "ar=EAte," (here the circonflexe knows what it is
> doing,
> before it meant the long =EA, =EAta, not the short e, epsilon [e-psilon,
> "pure,
> simple, bald e"]), is the divide, the ridge line, the roof top, and
> comes
> from Latin "arista," the beard of grain, summer--like Wednesday, hump
> day?--but, rather, when grain acquires its beard, its "best" (Greek
> "aristos," the best) part, its virtue, its quality, its special
> "talent,"
> its "raison d'=EAtre," that which is eventually gleaned, the thing at =
> its
> most
> useful, what it is "good" for. (For David Ritchie, the "business end" of
> a
> sword.)
>
> Richard Henninge
> University of Mainz
>
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