Here’s how I think about the distinction on a meta-level:
“It is best to act for the greater good (and acting for the greater good often requires being awesome).”
vs.
“It is best to be an awesome person (and awesome people will consider the greater good).”
where ″acting for the greater good” means “having one’s own utility function in sync with the aggregate utility function of all relevant agents” and “awesome” means “having one’s own terminal goals in sync with ‘deep’ terminal goals (possibly inherent in being whatever one is)” (e.g. Sam Harris/Aristotle-style ‘flourishing’).
Here’s how I think about the distinction on a meta-level:
“It is best to act for the greater good (and acting for the greater good often requires being awesome).”
vs.
“It is best to be an awesome person (and awesome people will consider the greater good).”
where ″acting for the greater good” means “having one’s own utility function in sync with the aggregate utility function of all relevant agents” and “awesome” means “having one’s own terminal goals in sync with ‘deep’ terminal goals (possibly inherent in being whatever one is)” (e.g. Sam Harris/Aristotle-style ‘flourishing’).
So arete, then?