Honor

Alexander Hamilton defending his honor by accepting Aaron Burr's challenge to a duel.

In the Judeo-Christian tradition, as well as in Confucianism and other ethical systems, honor is defined as the high respect, esteem, reverence, admiration, or approbation shown, felt toward, or received by a deity or person. The Bible emphasized placing "no other gods" before the true God and honoring one's father and mother, while Confucius taught that one love others and honor one's parents.

Honor became a guiding principle in Western society, from its earliest beginnings, especially as it relates to a man's honor, his wife's honor, and his family's honor. In the picture at the right, the American patriot Alexander Hamilton is seen defending his honor by accepting Aaron Burr's challenge to a duel. In some Muslim countries, women can be murdered in impunity if they are perceived as having brought dishonor to their family or tribe.

In East Asia, in lands such as Japan, honor was seen as a high duty, especially by the Samurai, as well as by ordinary people.

Honor has been defined in more modern times as the evaluation of a person’s trustworthiness and social status based on an individual's statements and actions. In some cultures, even in today's modern world, people are guided by a culture of honor as opposed to a culture of law.

Ancient Times

The ancient Greek concepts of honor ([]timē]]) included not only the exaltation of the one receiving honor, but also the shaming of the one overcome by the act of hubris. This concept of honor is akin to a zero-sum game, in which every honor was matched by an equal amount of shame.

In Aristotle's ethics, honor is defined as one of the several virtues that are central to a well-lived life. In order to live well, we must develop an understanding and appreciation of acquiring several important qualities which define a human being. One of those qualities is honor. Aristotle's approach, however, emphasized the importance of reason, more than honor, in order to have a well-lived life.

Judeo Christianity & Confucianism

The fifth of the Ten Commandments is "Honor thy father and thy mother."

The Hebrew Bible elevates honor to a high spiritual position. It is accorded to those in a position of authority (Gen. 45:13). It is achieved by heroism (Judg. 8:22; I Sam. 18:5), wisdom (Gen. 41:39; Prov. 3:16), or divine favor (1 Sam. 24:7, 11). Honor is due to parents (Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16; Mal. 1:6) and the aged (Lev. 19:32; Lam. 5:12) since they embody wisdom (Job 32:7, 9). Those who have wealth (Prov. 14:24) and children (1 Sam. 2:1) are also marks of honor since these possessions are a sign of God's favor.

The honoring of father and mother is the fifth commandment in the Ten Commandments. Its importance is apparent from the fact that the declared reward for its observance is the lengthening of "thy days upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee" (Ex. 20:12). The rabbis also emphasized that the observer of this commandment would enjoy reward both in this world and in the next (Pe'ah 1:1). They equated the honor due to parents with that due to God (Ex. 20:12; Prov. 3:9) since "there are three partners in man, the Holy One blessed be He, the father, and the mother." According to the rabbis, when a man honors his father and his mother, God declares, "I ascribe merit to them as though I had dwelt among them and they had honored Me." (Kid. 30b)

In Catholics tradition, one is obligated to honor those who stand in a position of authority. "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities," wrote Saint Paul in Romans 13:1, "for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." The most important relationship is between man and God. We must honor God by worshiping Him as our first beginning and last end, who is the infinite source of everything that we have. We honor angels and saints because of the gifts and graces bestowed on them by God. We honor our parents, from whom we received our earthly being, who brought us up and prepared us for the difficulties of life. Spiritual and temporal rules have a valid claim on receiving our honor by reason of the authority over us which they have received from God. We should honor the aged for their presumed wisdom, virtue, and experiences. We should always honor moral worth, wherever we find it. Official Catholic doctrine states that we may honor the highly talented, those who have been endowed with great beauty, strength, and dexterity, the well-born, and even the rich and powerful, for riches and power may, and should, be made the instruments of virtue and well-being.

Confucianism

Confucius taught that one should love others and to honor one's parents. This would contribute to the establishment of a civilized society and ultimately to world peace.

A staged re-enactment of suppuku, or ritual suicide in Japan, considered an honorable death

In East Asia, in lands such as [Japan], honor was always seen as an important duty of the Samurai, but also of normal people. When a person lost his honor, there was only one way to save his dignity: death. [[[Seppuku]]] (commonly called "harakiri") was the most honorable death in such a situation. The only way for a Samurai to die more honorably was to be killed in a battle. A modern inheritance of the Asian tradition of military honor is the importance of this virtue to people who practice martial arts.

Secular Terms

Honor has been defined as the evaluation of a person’s [trustworthiness] and social [social status|status] based on an individual's statements and actions. Honor is that which defines a person's character: whether or not the person reflects [honesty], [respect], [integrity], or fairness. Accordingly, a person's value and stature are based on the harmony of their actions, [honor code|code of honor], and that of the [society] at large. Honor can be analyzed as a [moral relativism|relativistic] concept, i.e., conflicts between individuals and even cultures arising as a consequence of material circumstance and ambition, rather than fundamental differences in principle. Alternatively, it can be viewed as [nativism|nativist] — that honor is as real to the human condition as [love], and likewise derives from the formative personal bonds that establish one's personal [dignity] and [Moral character|character].

Honor, sex, and violence

Traditionally, in Western society, honor figured largely as a guiding principle. A man's honor, that of his wife, his [blood][family] or his beloved, formed an all-important issue: the archetypal "man of honor" remained ever alert for any insult, actual or suspected: for either would impugn his honor.

However, the concept of honor appears to have declined in importance in the modern secular [Western world|West]. Popular [stereotype]s would have it surviving more definitively in alleged "hot-blooded" cultures ([Italy|Italian], [Persians|Persian], [Arab], [Iberian peninsula|Iberian], etc.) or in more "gentlemanly" societies (like the "[Old South]" of [Dixie]). Feudal or other agrarian societies, which focus upon land use and land ownership, may tend to "honor" more than do deracinated industrial societies. Honor still prevails in the military (officers may conduct a [court of honor|court of honor]) and in organisations with a military ethos, such as [Scouting] organizations.

File:Jesus-rescues-the-sinful-woman.jpg

Jesus of Nazareth defends a woman accused of adultery from being stoned to death.

Today, in many Muslim countries, such as Pakistan, women live under the constant threat of "honor killings." An honor killing is the murder of a person, almost invariably a woman, who has been perceived as having brought dishonor to their family. Such killings are typically perpetrated by the victim's own relatives and/or community, and unlike a crime of passion or rage-induced killing, it is usually planned in advance. Such killings are often regarded as a "private matter" for the affected family alone, and courts rarely become involved or prosecute the perpetrators.

"Honor" in the case of females is sometimes related, historically, to [human sexuality|sexuality]: preservation of "honor" equated primarily to maintenance of [virginity] of unattached women and to the exclusive [monogamy] of the remainder. One can speculate that [feminism] has changed some linguistic usage in this respect. Conceptions of honor vary widely between cultures; in some cultures, [honor killing] of (mostly female) members of one's own family are considered to be justified if the individuals have "defiled the family's honor" by marrying against the family's wishes, or even by being the victims of [rape]. Honor killings sometimes target women who choose boyfriends, lovers or spouses outside of their family's ethic and/or religious community, or refuse to enter into an arranged marriage or seeking a divorce. Even the mere perception that a woman that a women has behaved in a way that "dishonors" her family is sufficient reason to trigger an attack on her life. These honor killings are generally seen in the West as a way of men using the culture of honor to control female sexuality. [1].

Cultures of honor and cultures of law

The signers of the Declaration of Independence pledged "our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

One can contrast [culture]s of honor with cultures of [law]. In a culture of law there is a body of laws that must be obeyed by all, with punishments for transgressors. This requires a society that can enact and enforce laws. A culture of law incorporates an unwritten social contract: members of society agree to give up most of their rights to defend themselves and retaliate for injuries, on the understanding that transgressors will be apprehended and punished by society. From the viewpoint of [anthropology], cultures of honor typically appear among [nomad]ic peoples and herdsmen who carry their most valuable [property] with them and risk having it stolen, without having recourse to [law enforcement] or [government]. In these situations, inspiring fear forms a better strategy than promoting friendship; and cultivating a reputation for swift and disproportionate [revenge]increases the safety of one's person and property. Thinkers ranging from [Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu|Montesquieu] to [Steven Pinker]] have remarked upon the mindset needed for a culture of honor.

Cultures of honor therefore appear among the [Bedouin]s, [Scotland|Scottish] and [England|English] herdsmen of the [Border country], and many similar peoples, who have little allegiance to a [nation]al [government]; among [cowboy]s, [frontier]smen, and [ranch]ers of the [the West (U.S.)|American West], where official law-enforcement often remained out of reach, as is famously celebrated in [Western movie|Western]s; among the plantation culture of the [U.S. Southern states|American South], and among [aristocrat]s, who enjoy [hereditary] [privilege]s that put them beyond the reach of codes of law. Cultures of honor also flourish in [Crime|criminal] underworlds and [gang]s, whose members carry large amounts of [cash] and [contraband] and cannot complain to the law if it is stolen.

Once a culture of honor exists, it is difficult for its members to make the transition to a culture of law; it would require that people become willing to back down and refuse to immediately retaliate, and from the viewpoint of the culture of honor, this tends to appear to be an unwise act reflecting weakness.

One must distinguish the differences between a culture of honor and a culture of law, as it relates to different approaches on how one maintains his or her honor.

Other Contexts

In contemporary [international relations], the concept of "credibility" resembles that of honor, as when the credibility of a state or of an alliance appears to be at stake, and honor-bound politicians call for drastic measures.

Compare the concepts of [integrity], [face (social custom)] in [stereotype]d East Asian cultures, or of [mana] in [Polynesia]n society. For a similar concept with many connotations opposite to honor, see [shame].

In many countries the term honor can refer to an award given by the [state]. Such honors include military [medal]s, but more typically imply a civilian award, such as a British [Order of the British Empire|OBE], a [knighthood] or membership of the French [Légion d'honneur].

See also, [List of prizes, medals, and awards].

See also {Wiktionarypar2||honor}

• [Warrior Code]
• [Code duello]
• [Chivalry]
• [Honor code]
• [Honor killing]
• [Honor system], a philosophical way of running a variety of endeavors based on [Trust (sociology)|trust] and honor
• [Honorary degree]
• [Feud#Blood Feuds/Vendetta|Vendetta]
• [Klingon culture]

Quotations

• "Mine honor is my life, both grow in one. Take honor from me, and my life is done. Then, dear my liege, mine honor let me try; In that I live, and for that I will die." — [William Shakespeare], [Richard II (play)|Richard II] (1.1.182-185)
• "Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." — KJV Holy Bible (Exodus 20:12).
• "And for the support of this [United States Declaration of Independence#Conclusion|Declaration], with a firm Reliance on the Protection of the divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." — [Thomas Jefferson] [2] [3]
• "... during the time that the aristocracy was dominant, the concepts honor, [loyalty], etc. were dominant, during the dominance of the bourgeoisie the concepts freedom, equality, etc." — [Karl Marx|Marx] and [Friedrich Engels|Engels], The German Ideology.
• "I will to my lord be true and faithful, and love all which he loves and shun all which he shuns." — [Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon] oath as quoted in [Civilization IV], similar to the [Buddhism|Buddhist] [Oath of Refuge].
• "I will be forced to sink [the US ships], because even if I have one ship left I will proceed with the bombardment. Spain, [Isabel II of Spain|the Queen]and I prefer honor without ships than ships without honor.," [Casto Méndez Núñez] on the [Valparaiso bombardment].
• "To die with honor, when one can no longer live with honor." — [Giacomo Puccini], Madame Butterfly
• "Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud" — [Sophocles]
• "In contrast to the purely economically determined "class situation" we wish to designate as "status situation" every typical component of the life fate of men that is determined by a specific, positive or negative, social estimation of honor. This honor may be connected with any quality shared by a plurality, and, of course, it can be knit to a class situation: class distinctions are linked in the most varied ways with status distinctions. Property as such is not always recognized as a status qualification, but in the long run is, and with extraordinary regularity." [Max Weber]
• "Peace is a precious and a desirable thing. Our generation, bloodied in wars, certainly deserves peace. But peace, like almost all things of this world, has its price, a high but a measurable one. We in Poland do not know the concept of peace at any price. There is only one thing in the lives of men, nations and countries that is without price. That thing is honor." — [Józef Beck]

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Bowman, James. Honor: A History. Encounter Books, 2006. ISBN 1594031428.
• Nisbett, Richard E., and Cohen, Dov, Culture of Honor: The Psychology of Violence in the South.[Westview], 1996. ISBN 0-8133-1993-5.
• Pinker, Steven. The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature.New York: [Penguin Putnam], 2002. ISBN 0-670-03151-8.
• Gruber,Mayerand & Rabinowitz,Louis. Encyclopaedia Judaica. Eds. Michael Berenbaum and Fred Skolnik, Vol.9. 2nd ed. Detroit:[Macmillan Reference]2007. p519-520. 22 vols, August 18, 2007

External Links

• Honor August 18, 2007
• [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/02/0212_020212_honor killing.html, August 18, 20

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