No one is born with the Warrior Ethos. In all cultures, it is taught through training and discipline. The warrior ethic applies to everyone, whether winning on the battlefield or sleighing inner demons. Study how to use the warrior ethic in your life.
Lesson Readings
Readings in Ethics: Moral Wisdom Past and Present. Chapter 1, pages 69-78
Introduction
We are all at war. It may not be armed conflict on a physical battlefield; however, we fight battles against addictions, our work, our families, and the thoughts holding us back.
We are all warriors. Do we fight by a code? If so, what is it? What is the Warrior Ethic? How do we (and how can we) use it and be true to it in our internal and external lives?
We must look back towards the warrior cultures from which the warrior ethic emerged to discover this. This lesson deep-dives into the meaning of the warrior ethic, where it came from, and how we can apply it to our lives today.
Additional Resources
Free eBook: The Iliad by Homer
Courtesy of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Click HERE.
Free eBook: The Odyssey by Homer
Courtesy of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (MIT) Click HERE.
Free eBook: The Warrior Ethos by Steven Pressfield
An excellent additional resource outlining the warrior ethic across multiple cultures, civilizations, and fables. Only 45 pages long, but an excellent read. Click HERE.
Discussion Questions
Homer suggests that Achilles has become a better, wiser man, when he finally allows Hector’s father, Priam, to bring his sons body back for a proper funeral after desecrating the body. Do you agree? Why?
It has been argued the warrior ethic transcends the physical battlefield and applies to everyone. Explain how you can apply the warrior ethic to your life.
The Warrior Ethic