Original scientific paper
Aretē — A Prominent Educational Value in Ancient Greece
Marko Pranjić
orcid.org/0000-0001-7072-0300
; Hrvatski studiji Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
Abstract
The concept of upbringing did not exist in Ancient Greece, but the practice of upbringing did. More precisely, what existed was a sort of education, at least in relation to certain educational goals and ideals. The author bases his conclusions on several key concepts in Homer’s works: aretē (virtue), that is, aristos, aristoi (noble man, nobility), aristeia (competition in skills) and kalos (beautiful), kalistos (the most beautiful) and agathos (strong-spirited). Plato continued to elaborate the concept of arete, considering this to be a pre-concept and content which preceded and was superior to some other important spiritual values such as wisdom (sophia), courage (andreia), justice (dikaiosune) and fairness (dikaiosynē), and then piety (hosiotēs). The concepts kalos and agathos, in particular as used by Plato and Aristotle, were later united into the concept kalokagathos (a beautiful, spiritually and morally educated person), or
kalokagathia (aesthetical and ethical purity and virtue) and as a concept superior to some very important spiritual contents such as: andreia (spiritual courage), prudence (moderation) and eleutheriothes (open-handedness) and it all culminates in magnanimity (megalopsyhia) as the most difficult thing for a man, and at the same time the highest expression of spiritual and moral personality based on the objective existence of arete. Throughout Greek history, arete was always accompanied by honour, glory, grandeur, and was something which was taken for granted in the case of the nobility
(aristoi), arousing admiration (epainos), or causing condemnation (psogos, nemesis) if the nobleman did not carry out his social duties in a worthy manner. Aristotle’s selflove (philia — philautia) should be observed in this light, meaning that it does not necessarily have to be self-love in the negative sense of the word. Quite the opposite!
Keywords
aretē; aristos; aristeia; kalos; agathos; kalokagathos; kalokagathia; sophia; andreia; dikaiosune; dikaiosyne; hosiotes; megalopsyhia; time; epainos; nemesis; philautia
Hrčak ID:
82825
URI
Publication date:
15.10.2009.
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