Bushido Code Of Conduct Essay

Bushido, or the “way of the warrior,” calls forth the ghosts of Japan’s hallowed samurai class. A class so determined to preserve honor, they would rather stab their own stomachs in ritualistic suicide than live a shamed existence. Bushido is a code of conduct for the samurai of premodern Japan. The word samurai originally meant “one who serves” and referred to men of noble birth assigned to guard members of the Imperial Court. A strong virtue of Bushido was a strict hierarchy that emphasized obedience to authority. Warriors were required to fight to the death in battle to preserve the honor of their family or lord, and in the face of imminent failure or disgrace, ritualistic suicide was required. The suicide was called seppuku and involved disemboweling themselves to keep from being defeated by someone else. …show more content…
Bushido was a way of life where everyone based all their decisions on morality. Of course some may have a jaded sense of morality, but if they used benevolence and respect as their guiding principles than this would not be the case. Every virtue of Bushido was interwoven together. Morality must be based in benevolence and respect. Respect and politeness stem from honesty and loyalty to one another. One cannot have honor without doing honorable deeds. An appreciation and respect of life was also imperative, as it added balance to the warrior character of the samurai. Over time, the basic tenets of Bushido have been variously altered, transposed, and recycled within Japanese society, but a general emphasis on loyalty to country and family, and a downplaying of individualism have remained characteristic (Holmes). Bushido was used as the Japanese definition of a just war, used to strengthen centralization during the Sino War and World War II, and is a way of life that was misconceptualized and then reinvented with a brand new