Paragon Arete

Service Description

The Paragon Arete workshop is a character development program. It uses a chart (the Teleology Chart) as a tool to provide guidance on how to discover the optimum course of action using the wisdom of Aristotle. Teleology means having an end in mind. The Chart works by means of seven sections, each of which itemizes five aretes and the defects of excess and deficiency associated with them. (Arete is a Greek word which means doing things as well as you can out of a sense of good human character.) The Chart as a whole can be viewed as a ladder, progressing up from Level 1 – ambition, all the way up to Level 35 - spiritual perception. For ease of identification the boxes are colour-coded into the key colours of the rainbow. The boxes on the left hand side, red, orange and yellow represent moral behaviour and the lessons an individual learns about himself and his basic character as he goes through life. The boxes on the right hand side, blue, violet and purple represent reason and the greater understanding gained through experience and observing the way we treat others and how they treat us in return. The central box is green which represents compassion and the desire to help which forms the basic quality around which the whole chart revolves. Gradient Scale: Everyone starts out in life as a student, lacking sufficient education to make qualified judgements and decisions and thus gaining knowledge through life experience and education. Moral lessons learnt well, through study or the examples of positive role models help to develop a strong character traits and good habits. Immoral lessons, created by a lack of guidance or bad influences (especially from negative role models,) cause bad habits and weaken individual strength of character. The Chart provides a logical sequence of improving conditions in life and can be used either as an assistance to get through a particular situation or to gain greater perspective on life’s journey as a whole. The basic concept is to bring about a balance between the intellectual and the moral lessons learnt from life and thereby provide a road map for life which leads to happiness.

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