2010-02-06, 12:41 AM
(This post was last modified: 2010-02-06, 01:04 AM by 2147483647.)
There's a clear distinction between being polite and being chivalrous. I don't know how to explain it, but politeness is merely a subset of the varieties of codes within chivalry. Helping an elderly carry something and going out of your way to help someone really shouldn't be considered chivarly because its just part of basic politeness, which should be carried out whether your chivalrous or not. Holding the door open for someone applies to this too.
As for my dilemma, I gave it to her for her forgiveness. I think that in (the "ancient" definition of) chivalry, if you owed someone a favor, you'd carry it out, even if the person became your enemy, unless the request was demoralizing (such as "go commit suicide") or dishonorable (such as "go murder this person").
But the definition of chivarly has changed so much. Really, I just want to know how to quantify it. Maybe someone can help me compile a list or an analysis of how chivalry has changed over time? The best thing I found is that "there is no written law of chivarly", which makes this topic especially annoying to approach.
I guess I'll start off by saying that it's easy to call an action chivalrous or unchivalrous. For example, let's say I have a dispute with someone, and we've agreed to physically fight. It would be unchivalrous for me to stab him while he's using a urinal and is vulnerable. As another example, let's say I have I'm talking to someone. It would be unchivalrous of me to mention something that I've sworn not to say.
But these are only actions, and not definitions. There's a quote from "The Trial and Death of Socrates", you'd come across the line "Remember that I did not ask you to give me two or three examples of piety, but to explain the general idea which makes all pious things to be pious. Do you not recollect that there was one idea which made the impious impious, and the pious pious?" This sums up what I'm looking for.
As for my dilemma, I gave it to her for her forgiveness. I think that in (the "ancient" definition of) chivalry, if you owed someone a favor, you'd carry it out, even if the person became your enemy, unless the request was demoralizing (such as "go commit suicide") or dishonorable (such as "go murder this person").
But the definition of chivarly has changed so much. Really, I just want to know how to quantify it. Maybe someone can help me compile a list or an analysis of how chivalry has changed over time? The best thing I found is that "there is no written law of chivarly", which makes this topic especially annoying to approach.
I guess I'll start off by saying that it's easy to call an action chivalrous or unchivalrous. For example, let's say I have a dispute with someone, and we've agreed to physically fight. It would be unchivalrous for me to stab him while he's using a urinal and is vulnerable. As another example, let's say I have I'm talking to someone. It would be unchivalrous of me to mention something that I've sworn not to say.
But these are only actions, and not definitions. There's a quote from "The Trial and Death of Socrates", you'd come across the line "Remember that I did not ask you to give me two or three examples of piety, but to explain the general idea which makes all pious things to be pious. Do you not recollect that there was one idea which made the impious impious, and the pious pious?" This sums up what I'm looking for.