Greek Honor Vs. BYU Honor
Honor is a flexible concept. Honor to Achilles was very different than honor to Kleibos and Biton (Herodotus 1.31). Yet, it is perhaps the most ubiquitous and widely accepted rationale for action throughout the ages. Specific prescriptions for honorable conduct evolve with the rest of civilization, yet, honor, the central framework of moral direction and self-governance, undergirds both ancient Greek and modern BYU civilization. Consider the evolution from Hobbes’ brutish and nasty state of nature towards a platonic ideal civilization. In a state of nature, every man is an island. Instead, decisions are based on immediate evolutionary requirements. A single person can only extend influence as far as his or her direct power permits. A subordinate will unerringly act in the subordinate’s best evolutionary interest. An alpha can influence a subordinate’s “best interest” with a threat of corporal punishment or immediate reward. Examples of these types of organization c...