What is Arete and Why Should it be Pursued?

"Arete" is a Greek word that is most frequently translated as "virtue" or "moral excellence" in English, and in fact was the name given to the Greek goddess of virtue, excellence and goodness.  Although this sounds like something that would be reserved for discussions in graduate school classrooms or seminaries in 21st century America, arete was actually one of the most common values in ancient Greek culture.  Homer, Socrates and Plato all wrote about the pursuit of arete, but it was Aristotle who challenged his audience to consistently acquire more knowledge about what it means to be virtuous and to dedicate themselves to the infusion of arete into the public square.