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Honor as a Moral Category

A Historical-Linguistic Analysis

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL, MONTEREY, fbarrett{at}nps.edu

Theodore R. Sarbin

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ

In this article we trace the historical transformations of the word `honor' in Western cultures as initially an extrinsic conception equivalent to reputation and social status and later as a moral category independent of external reference. The virtue of `honor' is a window into the dynamics of identity maintenance. By tracing the transformations of `honor' in different cultures through history, we can see how moral categories and notions of self-identity are related and how they evolve. We illustrate modern notions of identity by citing from a study of identity narratives of US Naval officers; we also draw upon the Dreyfus Affair as an illustration of the shift of honor from extrinsic to intrinsic moral marker.

Key Words: historical-linguistic analysis • honor • identity • moral virtue • narrative

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