The Virtuous Elite Question

A rough stab at dissecting the concept of Virtuous Elite

How do we know if the elite is virtuous? What are the markers and signs? This is an important question for some very obvious reasons, but it is not at all obvious if the question can be answered without a postmortem perspective. Consider asking random people if the Roman Elite were virtuous. Start with an undergrad at a public university with at least two unnatural hair colors, and proceed through any established spectrum to the person you have access to that you believe is an expert on Roman history. For those that actually understand the question and genuinely answer it, the "correct" answer can only be "Sometimes." Push further down the path, and force a definitive answer of either yes or no regarding the net effect of all periods, generations, eras, and rulers. The point of this thoughtsploration serves to illustrate that, when it comes to virtue and elites, it is completely dependent upon the viewer thereof. Knowing this, it becomes a pointless question, for whatever the answer is, it serves only as a very nuanced reflection of the giver. It will tell you nothing of the Romans, their Elites, or Virtue. This is an all encompassing problem.

Nonetheless, I posit that there is a way to answer the question with a subjective objectivity that has value for others uninvolved. First, the society, extinct or extant, must exist significantly within common knowledge (for every randomized 8 people you ask, at least 5 will know of it with varying levels of familiarity). Second, they conform to the following list to some degree. The list is unfinished, and the degree of conformity will denote baseline virtue as well as level of virtuousness, but it is not definitive at this moment how many, or individually how much:

• In general, children's most important valuable icons, elders, and inspirations are their parents or what their parents symbolize.

• There is a universal quality of sacrifice to any endeavor deemed worthy of investing oneself in.

• It is relatively easy to find a contribution to general well-being and neutral progress in any given endeavor.

• Things of beauty and value are commonplace, expected, cherished, and defended.

• Art and creative endeavors have a timeless quality as well as universal accessibility among the educated, well-informed, hardworking, and skilled; art and creative endeavor bear a connection to the land and peasantry that is either positive or neutral.

• There is a pervasive sense of order, or a general but vehement opposition to disorder, pervading every facet of society.

• There is a minimum of doublespeak, maskirovka, and implicit deception in the lexicon of the people at every level of the Strata, but particularly the leaders and aristocrats.

• Getting people to be destructive, whatever their caste or class, requires great effort and much convincing; when convinced, the level of destruction is almost limitless.

• Getting people to sacrifice for future generations based on what their own ancestors deemed valuable is relatively simple.

• Projects and endeavors that will not be complete in the lifetime of the initiators are not rare, nor is it very hard to find support and resources for them.

• There is a minimum of vilification of anything that has a high level of mystery or ambiguity in terms of history; there is a veneration of any element of the past that could be construed as better or "above" the modern capacity.

• Higher human concepts and proclivities, such as honor or dignity or faithfulness or strength or brilliance or skill or complexity, are not the exception but instead the rule.

• In general, wealth is a means to an end and not the end itself.

• In general, the pursuit of wealth is not seen as an act of greed, but is seen as a worthy but dangerous physical and spiritual challenge.

• Those of a warrior inclination are just as ready to kill for something that they are also willing to die for; the things that are worth killing and dying for are well known and well spread throughout society.

• The warriors of society are obvious in terms of status, bearing, and presence.

• The bedrock memes of society are old, trusted, protected, and deep.

• Skillful acts that require time, dedication, effort, and risk to the performer are universally respectable within reason and understanding.

• There is a general understanding of what should be praised and protected, as well as a general acceptance of what should be denigrated and avoided; this is something that should be pervasive through every level of society, regardless of the reasons why or the detail to which those reasons are understood

• Beauty that leads to success is left to its natural position, not corrupted or squeezed for every last drop of financial gain; the act of squeezing beauty for greed is treated with derision, revulsion, and pity.

• Appreciation, laud, and respect are rendered as a gut or impulse reaction, not guided and shepherded by tastemakers and influencers.

• Ambiguities are external to society, and the conceptual boundaries that are relevant are explicit and definitive.

• The society is simple in nature and complex in effect.

• Society's luminaries are known but obscure; celebrity status holds no attraction to the best in a given field, nor does society demand celebrity behavior of them; they are at once highly desirable and unapproachable.

• The presence of any type of known repeat offender of either letter or spirit of both official and unofficial rules is universally abhorrent.

Virtue does not guarantee goodness or rightness. Virtue is the widespread impetus to do good and do what is right. Further, virtuousness demands a desire to extinguish corruption, deceit, and waste.

I strongly encourage anyone to challenge, buttress, or expand the list, but you must provide the examples which are intentionally lacking here. The original premise remains: the Virtuous Elite Question is a warped mirror for the inquired.