Honor Vs Life Research Paper
Ruth DeKold
11/21/14
Rhetoric
Honor Versus Life Among all the things sought after by men – riches, pleasure, righteousness, fame, power – honor and life are perhaps the greatest. Honor, according to the dictionary, is “a good name or public esteem; a showing of usually merited respect; chastity, purity; a keen sense of ethical conduct; integrity." But this defin does not do honor justice. It fails to communicate the sanctity of honor. Thomas Gordon, in Cato's Letter No. 57, defines it justly: "True honour is an attachment to honest and beneficent principles, and a good reputation; and prompts a man to do good to others, and indeed to all men, at his own cost, pains, or peril.” True honor is a desire to do that which is right.”Honor is the …show more content…
For those who have lived, though, and possessed honor, the question should be presented: If you lost one of these two good things, which loss would affect you more? Most would answer that losing their honor would be worse than losing their life. General Bentley Durrell, in Pat Conroy's The Lords of Discipline, said, “If I was stripped of my honor, I would choose death as certainly and unemotionally as I clean my shoes in the morning.” For him, losing his life would be nothing compared to being stripped of honor. Evident in the many accounts of valiant generals choosing to give their lives rather than retreat, this view is not uncommon. The loss of honor is much worse than the loss of …show more content…
All men born possess life, at least for a while, yet only those worthy possess honor. A common scumbag in the federal prison certainly has life, though it may be wretched and on a path to destruction, but he has no honor. Honor only attaches itself to the men good enough to deserve it. Life comes with the package of being born. Men cannot choose to never have life, although they can choose to lose it. Honor, also can be lost, but as Shakespeare's Richard II declares: “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,” if one were to be chosen by a great man, it would be honor. Honor does not only attach itself to a better man, but would evidently be chosen by one such man as
11/21/14
Rhetoric
Honor Versus Life Among all the things sought after by men – riches, pleasure, righteousness, fame, power – honor and life are perhaps the greatest. Honor, according to the dictionary, is “a good name or public esteem; a showing of usually merited respect; chastity, purity; a keen sense of ethical conduct; integrity." But this defin does not do honor justice. It fails to communicate the sanctity of honor. Thomas Gordon, in Cato's Letter No. 57, defines it justly: "True honour is an attachment to honest and beneficent principles, and a good reputation; and prompts a man to do good to others, and indeed to all men, at his own cost, pains, or peril.” True honor is a desire to do that which is right.”Honor is the …show more content…
For those who have lived, though, and possessed honor, the question should be presented: If you lost one of these two good things, which loss would affect you more? Most would answer that losing their honor would be worse than losing their life. General Bentley Durrell, in Pat Conroy's The Lords of Discipline, said, “If I was stripped of my honor, I would choose death as certainly and unemotionally as I clean my shoes in the morning.” For him, losing his life would be nothing compared to being stripped of honor. Evident in the many accounts of valiant generals choosing to give their lives rather than retreat, this view is not uncommon. The loss of honor is much worse than the loss of …show more content…
All men born possess life, at least for a while, yet only those worthy possess honor. A common scumbag in the federal prison certainly has life, though it may be wretched and on a path to destruction, but he has no honor. Honor only attaches itself to the men good enough to deserve it. Life comes with the package of being born. Men cannot choose to never have life, although they can choose to lose it. Honor, also can be lost, but as Shakespeare's Richard II declares: “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,” if one were to be chosen by a great man, it would be honor. Honor does not only attach itself to a better man, but would evidently be chosen by one such man as