The concept of the warrior and officer has changed
over the centuries based upon the needs of their time. Honor has been a
consistent theme throughout this transformation even though its application has
changed with the times. Colonel Peter Mansoor who served in Iraq
discusses how values have shifted overtime and creates new ways of
understanding honor, courage, and duty. His work helps shed light on how
different eras have brought forth new definitions.
Ancient
Codes: A defining concept of military codes of honor goes
all the way back to the ancient Spartans. Their code entailed honorable conduct
revolving around the ability to face death with composure and contempt. It was
a way of frustrating the inevitability of death through skill and ability.
Chivalric
Code: The medieval era brought a new conception of honor
that included a social instrument wrapping the warrior’s creed into a Chivalric
code. Warriors believed in courage, courtly love, fairness in deciding justice,
and true to one’s words and deeds.
Gentlemanly
Officers:
The societal shift from a feudal system to the republic brought the gentlemanly
officer who had lineage in European feudal systems. They acted with utmost
social grace and protected their honor at all costs. Problems were solved through
duels between two men. For example, Alexander Hamilton was killed by sitting U.S.
Vice President Aaron Burr over a defamation of character issue.
West
Point:
The system of warrior codes took a distinctly American flavor with the maturity
of the country. Honor in word and deed was important. It includes concepts of
not lying, cheating, stealing and not accepting those who do. “The Captain is to be true to his country, make
service his business, true honor his object."
The author argues that the
Warrior and their Codes reflect the values of society. He includes a speech by
the Commander and Chief at West Point that states, "We need your Honor — that inner compass that guides you, not when the
path is easy and obvious, but when it's hard and uncertain; that tells you the
difference between that which is right and that which is wrong." Honor
has shifted toward the idea of an inner compass that allows one to draw from
their own strengths and value systems even when there is no social kudos for
one’s actions.
The paper does not discuss beyond
the recent West Point speech what honor means in an emerging era of value
globalization, robotic warfare, highly trained military specialists, cyber
warriors, and shifting societal values. That conception of the warrior code has
not yet been clarified but is being pushed forward with the idea of “inner
compass” where multiple choices in any situation are judged by the fundamental
characters of the people making them. Perhaps it is the honor of choosing something
greater than ourselves even when there are no obvious options; a definition of
integrity as a concept of wholeness when others are divided.
Mansoor, P. (2014). The evolution of
military ethos over the ages. Phi Kappa
Phi Forum, 94 (2).
