FRAMEWORK FOR APPLICATION
The leadership of each well-ruled nation has a duty to secure the necessary conditions for its citizens, such as peace, security, health, labour, education, and good human relations.In providing these, it creates the conditions for the encouragement of personal development or, more specifically, for the spiritual and psychological cultivation of its citizens thus resulting in the superior quality of life within society. A leadership of superior virtue does not rest only on the formation of a good, second-hand reality, of a good, social system, but seeks to inspire and establish an ideal, first-hand reality within the original creator and former of society-the citizen. By transferring from generation to generation the spiritual and psychological virtues of each preceding human society the state guarantees superior social virtue.
Democracy has been internationally acknowledged as the most just and objective form of government and has prevailed in all contemporary societies. The beneficiary results of its organizational and administrative accomplishments may be guaranteed by an administrative staff consisting of individuals distinguished for their virtue and morality, who express a high degree of quality through their intentions, their trustworthiness, their interest for the common good and who rely on their spiritual adroitness as a means to proper administration. It is left to the administrative body of each social group to recognize and certify the existence of sought after characteristics after time has provided the suitable conditions for these personalities to be distinguished and proven.
This widely acknowledged truth, is rarely applied in real democracy since, even in the municipal elections, the majority of the elected counselors are unknown to their voters. Into this gap of public affairs fall all the sacrificed and sacrificers in the constant battle of impressions, contacts and marketing, whether on a small or large scale, which form the voters’ opinions of the candidates. The lack of personal contact between citizen and politician favours corrupted elections with all their negative consequences.
In acknowledging this truth ARETOCRACY fills this gap in the democratic process and proposes the following rules in order for the organisation of our social life to be improved.
THE NECESSARY LEGISLATIVE HIERARCHY OF CITIZENS
The citizens of every society wish to live together in self sufficiency, in
a good and co-operative social environment, based on the common good. The establishment
and the protection of this common good cannot blossom under the indeterminate
and conflicting will and judgment of the members of the local communities who
are not bound by a mutual trust or a similar viewpoint. The conservation, therefore,
of friendly relations requires a social organisation to which will be appointed
this responsibility, consisting of well-known members who have been trustworthily
elected, as the most reliable and best able to administer important, communal
matters.
A NUCLEUS OF SMALL SOCIAL GROUPS
These social groups have to be adequate in size for them to be able to meet regularly and to communicate at a close proximity, thus facilitating the choice of these sought after individuals. I consider such an adequate number to be approximately two hundred members.
VIRTUE AT THE CENTRE OF SOCIAL LIFE
In order for each social nucleus to cohabitate under favourable and lasting conditions for the general communal goals, there has to be a constant cultivation of virtue with the regular involvement of its members, in local meetings, which, parallel to the discussion of local matters, will also function as a continuous educational training on social behaviour, critical awareness and entertainment. During these meetings all members will be encouraged to be actively involved in the cultivating and distinguishing of their spiritual talents. Antisocial behaviour will be controlled. The chosen administrative leaders and representatives of each social group have to be aware that they are servants to the common good of the citizens and not power-loving tyrants. In the functions of every social group there will be the constant presence, observation and support of a lawful member of the central government of the wider society.
THE DISTINGUISHING OF PROPER GOVERNMENT
In ARETOCRACY elections take place without candidacies. With this approach any tension during the pre-election period is annihilated, since there is no competition, whilst at the same time the enormous costs for election campaigns will be avoided. Long term social contact gives the opportunity for a better evaluation of each member and solidifies their esteem amongst the members of each social group. Consequently, causes for enmity are greatly reduced. The non-declaration of candidacy will result in the distinguishing of members who have the trust of their social group, but under the present conditions would never have declared candidacy. This clearly shows the moral and spiritual esteem in which their fellow citizens behold them, as well as of their evident lack of desire for power. In addition the natural defenses of the citizens are strengthened, something which makes them more actively involved and closer to the administrative positions of their government and as a consequence better able to assimilate the virtues of the elected members as well as being better enabled to estimate the maturity of their decisions. The administrative body which will be distinguished and which will consist of approximately fifteen regular members will also have the right to choose another two or three members from the same social group which it considers worthy but which the maturity level of the group was not advanced enough to recognize. The involvement of each member during the meetings will not be compulsory and if they are considered too few there will be a union of two local meetings.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE HIERARCHY
The base of the wider society is this small social group which was described in detail above and the election of its rulers-servants-representatives is based on the criterion of their cultivated virtue in society, without their declaring candidacy. The levels of the administrative hierarchy are basically those of the administrative precincts.
In other words, they start from the local areas, then expand into municipalities and finally become peripheral and national. After the distinguishing and electing of the administrative council with its regular and stand-by members, its general meetings and its legitimate and official functioning as a central government, there will follow certain meetings for the informing and conversing of the regular members for their better understanding of each other as well as their control of the presidency.The approval of the positions at each level of the administrative hierarchy will be voluntary.
The members of the administrative council at every level of management will also be the members at the general meetings of the immediately superior administrative level to theirs, hence reintroducing the format of the first social group into it a wider, national sphere. This will ensure the long-term contact and collaboration of all the members, and consequently of the better evaluation and distinguishing of the virtue of the administrative members. In the classification of the administrative hierarchy there will be conditions of transparency and trust which will become stricter as they ascend. Furthermore each member may be replaced when the rest of the council deems it necessary to do so. ARETOCRACY will be established as a united national, governmental rule in which the various idealistic theories for living will co-exist and for which the same administrative rules will apply.
ARETOCRACY may be applied to all sorts of social organisations. However, I
consider the church as the first major establishment which has a duty to assert
the rules of ARETOCRACY and to provide the local parishes as meeting places
in which, occasionally, elections will be carried out.
GENERAL
Every activity will be subjected to those criteria which are considered beneficial and necessary for the upgrading of the quality of the citizens’ lives. Therefore, each activity will be controlled by an appropriate certified organisation of common interest for the establishment of quality of life. The non-abiding of rules for the quality of life by the administrative members, even in the case of their own possessions, will lead to certain penalties as well as a temporary or long-term withdrawal from their daily administrative duties, and other trustworthy members will replace them and actively manage their administrative affairs and possessions for a successful outcome. The competition of free economy will also be revised in order for it to retain its positive aspects, as is the purpose in every factor of our lives.
It is certain that those with bad dispositions who solicit votes and make various other exchanges affect the results of the elections in a negative way. However, this will occur only during the first steps of establishing ARETOCRACY. As virtue takes on a permanent, prevailing position at the centre of social life their presence will be reduced, as time goes by. At the same time the members of the local communities will become more spiritually and psychologically cultivated, and the virtue of the elected administrative members will provide a meditative, positive influence.
There is still, indeed a lot to be said and written in response to the queries and disagreements which this text may surely arouse. However, the general outline and principles are clearly stated. Its further analytical explaining needs a lot of time and work and, as in the case of every achievement of democracy, the involvement of the citizens is vital. I believe in the great value of my proposals and hope that they will soon be promoted. Corruption, the destruction of the natural environment, national and international disruptions have all reached gigantic proportions. The time is up. Time for ARETOCRACY. There are solutions.
What is required is for the people to put them into practice. It is initially the people that this association is addressing.
e-mail: aretokratia@gmail.com
SUPPORT ARETOCRACY BY FILLING THIS FORM
AN ASSOCIATION FOR THE QUALITY OF LIFE
e-mail: aretokratia@gmail.com
AN INVITATION TO THOSE WITH VIRTUE
AND A FREE SPIRIT
"for there is no good tree, which giveth rotten fruit, and no rotten tree, which giveth good fruit."
Lucas ch. 43
The association AXION ESTI is based on the principle that those who have a love of virtue, adhere to it faithfully as their guide in all personal and social matters and transfer it to society are the individuals who have the maturity to work together in order to upgrade the quality of our lives. The concept of virtue in our times has been put away in seclusion by some, scorned at and mocked at by others because it is often considered to be synonymous of a morality which is unable to keep the balances, unable to manage the wide range of human life in a wholesome and complete way, thus terminating in an absoluteness which wrongs or limits its _expression. However, it is virtue that we always seek in our every exchange with our fellow humans, for things which depend on them and involve us, and because of this need we are made guarantors of the influence of virtue in our lives. Virtue has been, remains, and always will be powerful and respected in essence, because it is honourableness, justice, honesty, mutual friendship and love, kindness, frugality, courageousness and all the other virtues, which we hope the others will express towards us, and which create cohesiveness, prosperity and happiness in our society. Based on this principle the association, in its beginning, is addressing this particular category of individuals, considering them competent and vital for the fulfillment of its dream. The obtainment of a legal foundation is not considered to be advantageous.
In addition, they who are interested must be aware of the importance of the development of the democratic system of government and its transmission to ARETOCRACY, which places virtue at the centre of the local and peripheral society, as it is described in the framework for its application and promotion.
Aims:
THE ASSOCIATION SUPPORTS:
The selection of the name
The name of the association, was selected because first of all, it is expressed by the concept of the word "axion", that signifies the acceptance of the importance of dealing with quality of life matters, that is the theses and activities that advance it in small and great issues and strengthen it in our everyday lives. This is premised on the sound evaluation of it's conditions, that guarantee, according to the way of thinking of the association, it's betterment and that have already been proposed in this text.
Moreover, the name refer to the hymn of the orthodox church, that inspired the having the same name and getting a melody poem of Odysseas Elytis. With this name the inspirator and founder of the association notify his position on life, which is the one that is transpired well in the whole text and expresses with this selection of his, the rightly greatest honour due to the teacher and saviour of humankind, Jesus Christ. For those people who are fair-minded and having a healthy free spirit, whichever critiques are expressed against Christianity, do not constitute an obstacle to this choice, since they are able to discern that the teachings of Jesus Christ are not to blame for bad, false or misunderstood actions that are done by people on his name or because they are called Christians, but as it is a source of joy for them every confusion to be solved because this is a kind of vindication, thus according to their evaluation of him, they are happy to settle and restore the beneficial merit of his teaching.
For those who are surprised with this connection – God and quality of life – that comes from the choice of this name, it's time to say that God is the life itself, and that the laws of life are being learned and will continue to be learned for a long time to come, even though some consider that science have reached the entirety of it's knowledge for it (but, among other things, what is to be meant by the absence or the inability of control of a gene of liberty ?) and that the quality of life, is the small paradise of our everyday life, that in the future we will see which are her limits, to the degree that we also utilise to this particular direction our freedom of choice.
With all the above i want to stress the breadth of the quality of life domain and the invitation of free spirited individuals to participate in the dialogue. Besides that, the association is in favour of the dialogue among religious, political and ideological groups and have some advice for it's effectiveness.
DIMITRIS GRAMMATOPOULOS
VIU AYATHA (LIFE'S GOODS) - ECO MARKET
5-7, VASILEOS ALEXANDROU Str. - ATHENS 115 28 - GREECE
ÔEL.: +30 210 72 35 157 - +30 6979289738
Email: aretokratia@gmail.com