ABSTRACT
The ancient Greek adjective, kaloskagathos (“fine and good”), and its corresponding abstract noun, kalokagathia (“the fine and the good”) were used throughout the classical period (fifth and fourth centuries BCE) to refer to the complete ideal of human excellence. Since the eighteenth century, kaloskagathos has been translated into English as “gentleman,” and, like the English word “gentleman,” it combined the ideas of high moral standards and a certain social standing. There has been a long-running controversy, however, as to whether kaloskagathos placed a greater emphasis on a person's inner, moral qualities, or whether it mainly referred to a person's social rank. The assertion has frequently been made that the term began as a reference to a person's aristocratic status and that, over time, the word slowly developed an ethical focus. But this idealized view of a steady progression from social rank to inner excellence is belied by the term's actual usage. From its earliest use, the word always had a primarily moral meaning, although a certain level of birth or wealth was also frequently implied. This chapter presents a more realistic understanding of this concept, using evidence from Greek literature, history, and philosophy from the fifth and fourth centuries BCE, thus providing a more accurate view of this pivotal period in human history.
