arete (ἀρετή)
Arete. Somehow, I get the feeling that you (yes, I've decided to write my blog posts in a one-on-one conversation manner) haven't exactly come across this word before. You're probably wondering what the hell I'm talking about, and when - if ever - I'm going to reveal what it really means. You could try Dictionary.com, but I'll save you the trouble of even clicking on the link I so graciously provided. You get two definitions: one's something to do with physical geography, the other with (what else?) philosophy.
So what really is the deal with arete?
Ask any budding philosophy student that, and she'll/he'll stare at you with widened eyes, most likely either glazed over due to information overload, or in horror. Yes, horror. In all senses of the word.
Philosophers, like regular people (I'm sad to announce that philosophers and philosophy students did indeed spring from a common genetic history as regular humans: we don't have acid for blood, cogs and gears for a heart, or Nature's version of an Intel microchip implanted in our skulls), seek certainty and answers to fundamental questions - albeit philosophically interesting ones, of course.
Ouch. My head is starting to fill up with books and philosophers to read already.
Arete.
Honestly, I can't provide you with a definitive answer, simply because I can't. I don't have the linguistic capabilities to do so. This ancient Greek word has come to mean different things in our modern lexicon: "virtue" being the most popular, "excellence"... even "goodness". Personally, I've tended to think of it as excellence more than anything else, but that's just my interpretation of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics.
If we can't even agree on the definition of a word that has lasted till today, don't you think it's a wonder that we are able to understand the subtle spins, connotations, hints, implications etc that lie in every sentence, phrase, word and non-verbal grunts that we utter each day?
Somehow, I don't. People don't understand each other any longer. This clearly falls into an idealistic picture of the world - one of those "oh man, that would be nice/so awesome/friggin' perfect" things. Last I checked, we didn't live in an ideal world (not till I, or another enlightened philosopher-king, have our way with the world).
"You didn't seem so sorry."
"It sounded like you weren't saying what you meant."
"He made it look as if I was the one at fault."
"That's not what it sounded like to me."
And my all time fave: "Oh, really? Uh huh."
I'll bet my left nut that you've been misunderstood on these grounds before, and I'll go so far to even stake my left toe that the last time was fairly recent. And yes, I'm one of those people. Setting aside all philosophical questions, doesn't it bother you? How are you supposed to express yourself, so much so that you can not be mistaken or misunderstood in the slightest bit? Is it possible?
Words mean a lot to me, not only because I depend on them as entertainment, but also because in many ways, that's all I have. In fact, that's all we each have. Without words, we each become trapped unto ourselves - literal islands in the stream, tiny bunches of algae that occasionally bump into one another but do not mingle. We may each possess emotions, thoughts, beliefs, but without words, it's next to impossible to effectively communicate our ideas.
I'm not implying (if you get the point of this post, you'll appreciate how ironic this is) that some people are forever trapped (such as the mute or illiterate), but rather that they'll always be alone. No matter the alternatives, I doubt it's possible for them to completely share their beliefs, thoughts etc. I'm omitting the case of the mentally challenged precisely because they'll never understand the impact of the word as an abstract concept.
Yet, even with words, you've experienced how hard it is to communicate what you really mean. Words are by no means the one best way to express oneself, but they mean so much. The mere act of uttering the words themselves serves to soothe, irk, annoy, amuse, tease, provoke, evoke and most importantly, words make whatever you're feeling known to the Other.
Words create reality - a reality that melds the speaker(s) and listener(s) together.
Excellence is by no means something that all of us can achieve, but the least you and I could do was to mean what we say, and stand by our words.
Save words like arete, of course.
Damn word.
So what really is the deal with arete?
Ask any budding philosophy student that, and she'll/he'll stare at you with widened eyes, most likely either glazed over due to information overload, or in horror. Yes, horror. In all senses of the word.
Philosophers, like regular people (I'm sad to announce that philosophers and philosophy students did indeed spring from a common genetic history as regular humans: we don't have acid for blood, cogs and gears for a heart, or Nature's version of an Intel microchip implanted in our skulls), seek certainty and answers to fundamental questions - albeit philosophically interesting ones, of course.
Ouch. My head is starting to fill up with books and philosophers to read already.
Arete.
Honestly, I can't provide you with a definitive answer, simply because I can't. I don't have the linguistic capabilities to do so. This ancient Greek word has come to mean different things in our modern lexicon: "virtue" being the most popular, "excellence"... even "goodness". Personally, I've tended to think of it as excellence more than anything else, but that's just my interpretation of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics.
If we can't even agree on the definition of a word that has lasted till today, don't you think it's a wonder that we are able to understand the subtle spins, connotations, hints, implications etc that lie in every sentence, phrase, word and non-verbal grunts that we utter each day?
Somehow, I don't. People don't understand each other any longer. This clearly falls into an idealistic picture of the world - one of those "oh man, that would be nice/so awesome/friggin' perfect" things. Last I checked, we didn't live in an ideal world (not till I, or another enlightened philosopher-king, have our way with the world).
"You didn't seem so sorry."
"It sounded like you weren't saying what you meant."
"He made it look as if I was the one at fault."
"That's not what it sounded like to me."
And my all time fave: "Oh, really? Uh huh."
I'll bet my left nut that you've been misunderstood on these grounds before, and I'll go so far to even stake my left toe that the last time was fairly recent. And yes, I'm one of those people. Setting aside all philosophical questions, doesn't it bother you? How are you supposed to express yourself, so much so that you can not be mistaken or misunderstood in the slightest bit? Is it possible?
Words mean a lot to me, not only because I depend on them as entertainment, but also because in many ways, that's all I have. In fact, that's all we each have. Without words, we each become trapped unto ourselves - literal islands in the stream, tiny bunches of algae that occasionally bump into one another but do not mingle. We may each possess emotions, thoughts, beliefs, but without words, it's next to impossible to effectively communicate our ideas.
I'm not implying (if you get the point of this post, you'll appreciate how ironic this is) that some people are forever trapped (such as the mute or illiterate), but rather that they'll always be alone. No matter the alternatives, I doubt it's possible for them to completely share their beliefs, thoughts etc. I'm omitting the case of the mentally challenged precisely because they'll never understand the impact of the word as an abstract concept.
Yet, even with words, you've experienced how hard it is to communicate what you really mean. Words are by no means the one best way to express oneself, but they mean so much. The mere act of uttering the words themselves serves to soothe, irk, annoy, amuse, tease, provoke, evoke and most importantly, words make whatever you're feeling known to the Other.
Words create reality - a reality that melds the speaker(s) and listener(s) together.
Excellence is by no means something that all of us can achieve, but the least you and I could do was to mean what we say, and stand by our words.
Save words like arete, of course.
Damn word.
NIGEL
1:25 AM
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