The public face of virtue

Honor is the public face of the virtue of fortitude and courage. 

When honor degrades, fortitude and courage are weakened. The military disciplines of honor, superstition, self-control and comradeship are the essential values by which wars are waged. They array themselves along the dimension of weakness and strength rather than right and wrong. 

Authority and the willingness to obey authoritative orders and to follow authoritative commands removes the ethical dimension of right and wrong and replaces it with the virtuous dimension of strength and weakness.