Transcript www.lorenzkraus.com www.taxfreesociety.com Lorenz Kraus 2012 Consider a Flower Rise and Fall of Areté Rise and Fall of Areté 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Bud Bud Opens Flower presents itself Flower at maximum glory Flower weakens Flower.

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Lorenz Kraus 2012
Consider a Flower
Rise and Fall of Areté
Rise and Fall of Areté
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Bud
Bud Opens
Flower presents itself
Flower at maximum glory
Flower weakens
Flower wilts
Flower falls apart
Peak
Bud
Wilt
Areté is Natural and Real
Consider Fire
Consider Fire
1. spark
2. spread
3. engulfed
4. peak heat and flame
5. dying down
6. coals smolder
7. ash
Inferno
Spark
Ash
Areté is the peak of a process
Areté Peak
Baseline
Rest
Exhaustion
Areté is all around us
Areté notes something real.
It is an objective concept.
Areté
1. the prime expression of
an entity;
2. the peak moment of a
process or experience
Ecce Panis
“Behold the Bread!”
Ecce Homo
“Behold the Man!”
Not every moment is equal;
not every example is a prime example.
Buddhists are Mindful
….the Ancient Greeks were mindful of areté.
Signifies
QUALITY
Prime
Best
Epitome
Excellence
Crescendo
Climax
Areté
The most important concept in history.
Pursuit of Areté
is
Western Culture
Western Institutions
Defined by
Prime-Selection
Western Institutions:
 Individualism—Pick the Best People
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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
6. Banking—4c’s of credit—prime versus subprime—pick best credit candidates
Western Institutions: “Pick the Best!”
Areté—Pick the Best Things
1. Free Market—Pick the best products at the best price
2. Free speech—Pick the best ideas
3.
Science & Medicine—Pick the best explanation and the best cure
4. Law—Rules of evidence pick the facts; facts are best
5. Calculus—reveals the optimum rate
6. Stock Market—pick the best companies
Man
Barbarian
Slave
Areté was God of the Greek Consciousness.
…and maybe yours!
Areté is Everywhere!
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NYSE listings
ISO 9000/UL
Valentine’s Day
Consumer
Reports
Barbie Dolls
Miss Universe
Mr. Universe
NASCAR
NBA Draft
 AMA Board
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Certification
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 Microsoft
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Certified
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 NCAAs
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 Bonus Pay
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 Hedge fund

rankings
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 Portfolio MGMT
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 American Idol
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Speed Dating
Nobel Prize
Super Bowl
Spelling bees
GPAs
SAT, GMAT
Oscars
Wine Tastings
Bar Exams
Currency trading
Areté is Everywhere!
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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
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.
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.
What if we didn’t have an eye for areté?
 Or a dedication to Quality?
How barren would the world be?
The Eruption Reveals the Volcano
Man
Areté Reveals the Essence of Man
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.
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.
Areté reveals what a thing really is.
Areté reveals true reality, when distraction,
distortion, and disability is washed away.
Areté is both momentary and timeless.
1. Prime Moment
2. Prime Example
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
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.
Areté is Secular Divinity
Areté is real, objectively-evident to others,
and transcendent across time.
Areté is the Western man’s god
To value areté is a choice.
Areté
Picture of
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•
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•
•
•
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Health
Proportion
Purity of soul
Harmonious
Happy
Inviting
Object of worship
Best of self
Someone to live up to
What life is all about
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
People are not equal.
Man’s Areté
WILL TO LIVE
puts Free Will
in service to your life
Man thrives in a culture of areté
Fusing Essence to Excellence
Civilization is a permanent
expression of values conducive
to human development
Western Civilization
stands on areté
Civilization
Areté
Liberty
Will to Live
Values Diamond
CIVILIZATION
Areté
LIBERTY
Will to Live
War on Areté
Modernism is a jihad against areté
Areté versus Modernist Monstrosities
1. Music versus rap; art versus modern art smears
2. Olympics versus Special Olympics
3. For-Profit versus not-for-profit
4. Christmas versus Kwanza
5. History versus Black History
6. Femininity versus Feminism
7. Marriage versus anal marriage
8. Gold versus FED mafia-money
9. Grammar versus ebonics; phonics v. look-say
10.Industrial civilization versus Earth Day
Areté versus Modernist Monstrosities
1. Music versus rap; art versus modern art smears
2. Olympics versus Special Olympics
3. For-Profit versus not-for-profit
4. Christmas versus Kwanza
5. History versus Black History
6. Femininity versus Feminism
7. Marriage versus anal marriage
8. Gold versus FED-mafia money
9. Grammar versus ebonics; phonics v. look-say
10.Industrial civilization versus Earth Day
Areté versus Modernist Monstrosities
1. Music versus rap; art versus modern art smears
2. Olympics versus Special Olympics
3. For-Profit versus not-for-profit
4. Christmas versus Kwanza
5. History versus Black History
6. Femininity versus Feminism
7. Marriage versus anal marriage
8. Gold versus FED-mafia money
9. Grammar versus ebonics; phonics v. look-say
10.Industrial civilization versus Earth Day
Prime Versus Sub-Prime
Capitalism is the right to buy and sell
solutions (Areté) to life’s problems so
you can live long and prosper.
Socialism outlaws solutions. You
suffer in misery until you die.
ALGORE
SUCKS!
Socialism outlaws money, trade, property
rights, subversive technology, ideas,
movement, associations to make sure you
suffer deeply—in famine and deprivation.
Areté
Liberty
Theocracy
Communism
Liberty seeks secular areté; communism is a reactionary state
religion of aggressive envy upon success produced in liberty.
Where is Areté?
?
You can’t redistribute areté without destroying it.
Where is Areté?
?
If is areté is God, communism is godless.
If areté is God, theocracy is godless.
Socialism is sin against Areté
America is the ONLY
industrialized nation
meant to be
A FREE COUNTRY
The will to live
seeks
Areté
Teach areté
Talk areté
Demand areté
Exert Your
Will to Live!
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Areté in politics is a tax-free city
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