Will and Excellence

'To excel' literally means 'to exceed', so 'excellence' and 'excellent' are both, literally, comparative notions that do not preclude further surpassing. Hence, the most common uses of them abstract from those characteristics, i. e. 'excellent' usually describes a discrete paragon. But the more significant abuse of those terms is in prominent Ethical theories. By equating 'excellence' with 'goodness', Plato implies that it is as incomparable as is the former. By imputing to 'excellence' Teleological Causality, Aristotle implies that it is unsurpassable. Likewise, such doctrines abstract from the involvement of Will, the principle of Excession in Experience, in Excellence.