In ancient Greek “arête” means “excellence”. I have read about this term in the book “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values” by Robert Pirsig. The book states “Arête implies a respect of the wholeness or oneness of life, and a consequent dislike of specialization. It implies a contempt for efficiency — or rather a much higher idea of efficiency, an efficiency which exists not in one department of life but in life itself [quoting H.D.F Kitto's "The Greeks" ].”.
