Nietzsche, Personal Honor, and the Concept of Honor at Washington and Lee University

Abstract

Having spent four years at Washington and Lee University, I have been and continue to be impacted by our Honor System daily in both subtle and explicit ways. As a freshman, I heard the "Leave Now" speech in Lee Chapel and accepted the System without giving it too much thought. However, the more time I spent here, the more important I felt that it was to critically examine the System's role in my life. Like most students, I would be lying if I said that I, in my time at W &L, had never been tempted to lie, cheat, or steal. Perhaps because of this, I have at times felt tension between myself as an individual and the System as a governing force. But most importantly, it has been integral to my development as a student and a person. Now, as I near graduation, I owe it to myself to deeply consider one of the most influential and important features of my W &L experience -- the Honor System. In this paper, I plan to evaluate Washington and Lee University's Honor System and the concept of honor at W&L in terms of themes from Nietzsche's philosophy. While I could have chosen any philosopher's work as a lens with which to view our Honor System, Nietzsche's attracted me because I hoped that it would be both difficult and provocative. By assuming a Nietzschean standpoint and critiquing the System, I am not implying that Nietzsche's arguments have no weaknesses; nor would I attempt to argue that our System is without flaw. Oftentimes it seems that both contain inherent contradictions, yet both remain valuable and helpful for different reasons. It is my hope that this exploration will allow me to consider our Honor System from a unique vantage and return to it, for the better, having seen it in a uniquely different way. [From Introduction]