Behavioral Codes
In many societies in which a specialized warrior class exists, specific codes of conduct (ethical code or honour code) are established to ensure that the warrior class is not corrupted or otherwise dangerous to the rest of society. Common features include valuing honour in the forms of faith, loyalty and courage.
Examples include the following:
- Ethical codes of the early Germanic Peoples, as well as Prussian virtues
- Behavioral codes of discipline in the Spartan army.
- Medieval knights' code of chivalry;
- Samoa's Toa class, which used a warrior code known as fa'aaloalo (Respect) that is still in exisistance today;
- Kshatriya code of Dharma in India;
- Khalsa code of saint Soldiers in Sikhism;
- Sesok-ogye code of Hwarang in Korea;
- Japan's samurai class, which uses a warrior code known as Bushido (The Way Of The Warrior)
- XiĆ” in China; and
- French Foreign Legion Code d'Honneur, still in use today.
Warriors' honour is dependent on following the code. Common virtues in warrior codes are mercy, courage and loyalty.
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Famous quotes containing the word codes:
“... until both employers and workers groups assume responsibility for chastising their own recalcitrant children, they can vainly bay the moon about ignorant and unfair public criticism. Moreover, their failure to impose voluntarily upon their own groups codes of decency and honor will result in more and more necessity for government control.”
—Mary Barnett Gilson (1877?)