ABSTRACT
The cultural value of philotimo, its timeless centrality within Greek culture, as well as its timely projection within a crisis-afflicted Greek society, provides an insightful and prototypical study paradigm capable of contributing to the cultural maturity of the positive psychology movement. This chapter considers the relevance of philotimo within the psychological science movement of positive psychology. It addresses the conceptual, historical, and recent socioeconomic dimensions based on the positive psychology. The chapter focuses on philotimo supports the view that positive psychology needs to address the need for a foundational and systematic value enquiry between what is less or more effective at promoting optimal states of personal and societal being, lest it deprive itself of any usefulness for individuals and societies. The socioeconomic and political crises in Greece exemplify a worldwide trend. Contextual parameters in social sciences are changing rapidly and on a large scale, and traditional concepts and dynamics are becoming increasingly complex or less relevant.
