In Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, “arete” is used mainly to describe heroes and nobles and their mobile dexterity, with special reference to strength and courage, but it is not limited to this. Penelope’s arete, for example, relates to co-operation, for which she is praised by Agamemnon.
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What is arete in the Odyssey?

Odyssey. In the Odyssey, Arete appears as a noble and active superintendent of the household of her husband. When Odysseus arrived in Scheria, he appealed first to Arete for reception and protection, and she treated him hospitably.

How does Odysseus display arete?

He proved himself excellent in all manner of activities, demonstrating his arete. … His idea of the Trojan Horse reflected his arete with respect to strategy as did his craftiness in blinding Polyphemus, the Cyclops. Over many years, Odysseus survived the challenges and trials that claimed the lives of all his men.

How did Plato define arete?

(Greek, the goodness or excellence of a thing) The goodness or virtue of a person. In the thought of Plato and Aristotle virtue is connected with performing a function (ergon), just as an eye is good if it performs its proper function of vision. This is its telos or purpose (see also teleology).

What is the arete moral excellence all about?

In the moment of excellence, something transcends the mundane and touches the Ideal. For Plato, arete is mainly associated with moral excellence. It is superordinate to specific moral virtues of Courage, Temperance, Justice, etc.; something they all share, a special, unnamed quality, their essence.

What is arete in Greek?

Arete (Greek: ἀρετή) is a concept in ancient Greek thought that, in its most basic sense, refers to “excellence” of any kind. The term may also mean “moral virtue”.

Does Odysseus have arete?

Penelope and Odysseus both have arete But Achilles in the Iliad also has arete, because he is the best warrior that a man can be. Odysseus has arete because he is so clever, and thinks up effective plots.

How is arete important to Greek culture?

Through their temples, sculpture, and pottery, the Greeks incorporated a fundamental principle of their culture: arete. To the Greeks, arete meant excellence and reaching one’s full potential. … Arete is an ancient Greek word meaning excellence or virtue. The arete of something is the highest quality state it can reach.

What does arete in English mean?

: a sharp-crested ridge in rugged mountains.

What is the ancient Greek word which means living and doing well?

Eudaimonia and happiness. … Despite this etymology, however, discussions of eudaimonia in ancient Greek ethics are often conducted independently of any super-natural significance. In his Nicomachean Ethics (1095a15–22) Aristotle says that eudaimonia means ‘doing and living well’.

What is another word for Arete?

In this page you can discover 15 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for arete, like: crag, crest, ridge, crackline, headwall, mantelshelf, ledge, fingery, slabby, and left-slanting.

What are the two kinds of Arete?

There are two kinds of virtue: intellectual and moral. We learn intellectual virtues by instruction, and we learn moral virtues by habit and constant practice. We are all born with the potential to be morally virtuous, but it is only by behaving in the right way that we train ourselves to be virtuous.

What is the main idea of virtue ethics?

Virtue ethics mainly deals with the honesty and morality of a person. It states that practicing good habits such as honesty, generosity makes a moral and virtuous person. It guides a person without specific rules for resolving the ethical complexity.

How do you live with arete?

Using arete as a principle for living life means that you are focused on the quality of everything you do and experience. Avoid actions that lack arete. Take actions that focus on arete. When most people think of virtue, they look at moral virtue.

How does Aristotle define arete virtue )?

Explain and trace out some examples of Aristotle’s Doctrine of the Mean. Virtue, arete, or excellence is defined as a mean between two extremes of excess and defect in regard to a feeling or action as the practically wise person would determine it.