Areté

1. Areté www.lorenzkraus.com www.taxfreesociety.com Lorenz Kraus 2012

2. Consider a Flower

3. Rise and Fall of Areté

4. Rise and Fall of Areté • Bud • Bud Opens • Flower presents itself • Flower at maximum glory • Flower weakens • Flower wilts • Flower falls apart

6. Areté is Natural and Real

7. Consider Fire

8. Consider Fire 1. spark 2. spread 3. engulfed 4. peak heat and flame 5. dying down 6. coals smolder 7. ash

10. Areté is the peak of a process

12. Areté is all around us

14. Areté notes something real. It is an objective concept.

16. Areté • the prime expression of an entity; • the peak moment of a process or experience

19. Ecce Panis “Behold the Bread!” Ecce Homo “Behold the Man!”

20. Not every moment is equal; not every example is a prime example.

21. Buddhists are Mindful ….the Ancient Greeks were mindful of areté.

22. Signifies QUALITY

23. Prime Best Epitome Excellence Crescendo Climax

24. Areté The most important concept in history.

25. Pursuit of Areté is Western Culture

26. Western Institutions Defined by Prime-Selection

27. Western Institutions: • Individualism—Pick the Best People • Romance—Pick your best available mate • Democracy—Pick the best leader • Olympics—Picks the best athletes • Meritocracy—Pick the best people for the job • Freedom of association—right to work—hire and fire—pick your best friend • Banking—4c’s of credit—prime versus sub-prime—pick best credit candidates

28. Western Institutions: “Pick the Best!” • Areté—Pick the Best Things • Free Market—Pick the best products at the best price • Free speech—Pick the best ideas • Science & Medicine—Pick the best explanation and the best cure • Law—Rules of evidence pick the facts; facts are best • Calculus—reveals the optimum rate • Stock Market—pick the best companies

31. Areté was God of the Greek Consciousness. …and maybe yours!

32. Areté is Everywhere! • NYSE listings • ISO 9000/UL • Valentine’s Day • Consumer Reports • Barbie Dolls • Miss Universe • Mr. Universe • NASCAR • NBA Draft • AMA Board Certification • Microsoft Certified • NCAAs • Bonus Pay • Hedge fund rankings • Portfolio MGMT • American Idol • Speed Dating • Nobel Prize • Super Bowl • Spelling bees • GPAs • SAT, GMAT • Oscars • Wine Tastings • Bar Exams • Currency trading

33. Areté is Everywhere! 25 Ways we celebrate areté! • NYSE listings • ISO 9000/UL • Valentine’s Day • Consumer Reports • Barbie Dolls • Miss Universe • Mr. Universe • NASCAR • NBA Draft • AMA Board Certification • Microsoft Certified • NCAAs • Bonus Pay • Hedge fund rankings • Portfolio MGMT • American Idol • Speed Dating • Nobel Prize • Super Bowl • Spelling bees • GPAs • SAT, GMAT • Oscars • Wine Tastings • Bar Exams • Currency trading

34. Areté in Music and Novels Western music builds up to a crescendo Western novels build up to a climax Classical music is “rock and roll” Non-western music is flat-lined…drones on. Listen for it.

35. Areté in Music and Novels Western music builds up to a crescendo Western novels build up to a climax Classical music was the original “rock and roll” Non-western music is flat-lined…goes on and on. Listen for it. Meditation versus Excitation

36. What if we didn’t have an eye for areté? • Or a dedication to Quality? • How barren would the world be?

37. The Eruption Reveals the Volcano

38. Areté Reveals the Essence of Man

39. Areté reveals Essence Could you know what a flower bud is for, if you never saw its peak moment? Areté shows you the point of living things, their functions, and their true potential.

40. Would you know LIFE by birth and death, alone? • Or a flower is by its bud and wilt, alone? • Or man by his diapers? • The alpha and the omega do not reveal the essence. Areté reveals the essence. • You cannot know without knowing areté.

41. Areté reveals what a thing really is. Areté reveals true reality, when distraction, distortion, and disability is washed away.

42. Areté is both momentary and timeless. 1. Prime Moment 2. Prime Example

43. Olympics:Momentary excellence for eternal fame "All my life I have loved sport. You have to love sport to compete at it. There is a truth to sport, a purity, a drama, an intensity, a spirit that makes it irresistible to take part in and irresistible to watch. In every Olympic sport there is all that matters in life. Humans stretched to the limit of their abilities, inspired by what they can achieve, driven by their talent to work harder than they can believe possible, living for the moment but making an indelible mark upon history. Sebastian Coe London 2012

44. Art Captures Areté • Man gravitates to the prime moment because it stands out. • We want areté in pictures and stories. We enjoy areté. Areté is exciting. • Art captures and celebrates areté so we can experience areté even when areté is gone. • Art makes areté eternal.

45. Areté is Secular Divinity • Areté is real, objectively-evident to others, and transcendent across time. • Areté is the Western man’s god

46. To value areté is a choice.

47. Areté

48. Picture of • Health • Proportion • Purity of soul • Harmonious • Happy • Inviting • Object of worship • Best of self • Someone to live up to • What life is all about

49. Anti-areté • Revolting Fool • Monster by choice • Disgusting garbage • Self-hater • Beast / Animalistic • Water buffalo • Slave to fads • Devoid of sense & values • Destructive • Heap of Infamy • Insult to mankind

50. People are not equal.