Akhenaton on Honor: Inner Conviction and Core Values

Introduction: Honor as the Soul's Garment

"Honor is the inner garment of the Soul; the first thing put on by it with the flesh, and the last it layeth down at its separation from it." — Akhenaton

The meaning of this quote is that our true moral convictions — those which we would rather die than compromise — define our very being. The idea is significant for several reasons. First, Akhenaton is often credited with being the first true individual in our civilization. To the extent that this is so, it is because he was the first to stand apart from the norms and mores held by the world at large.

Akhenaton was the first Egyptian ruler known to disclaim polytheism in favor of monotheism. His views were not widely accepted at the time, but he held firm in them. His belief in monotheism came to define Akhenaton because it was his most sacred value (Freud 1939). He could not part with it and still be himself. His conviction to his innermost belief was his honor — an honor that existed for and within himself, not for others. The honor referred to in this quote is not necessarily that of being honest in word and action with his fellow citizens.

Akhenaton and the Nature of Inner Honor

Nor is honor in this context the measure of esteem placed upon one's shoulders by society, or the ability to stand tall against injustice, or the defense of the oppressed. All of these are examples of honor in its various contexts, many of which have direct application to Akhenaton's quote. But the essence of the quote — the context in which it was first uttered — reflects only the inner workings of a person's battle against his own psyche. There is, in fact, a remarkable simplicity to it.

The honor Akhenaton describes is deeply personal. It is not performed for an audience or validated by external recognition. Rather, it is the quiet, unwavering fidelity one maintains toward one's own most deeply held beliefs. In this sense, honor is not a social virtue but an existential one — it is what makes a person who they are at the most fundamental level.

Relevance of Honor in Modern Life

This quote has tremendous relevance in today's world. In modern life, pressures and difficulties appear at all times of day and from a multitude of sources: people we know and care for, people we know and do not care for, and people we do not know at all. We are exposed to many different people and so many different situations in any given day that it is often hard to remember every encounter we had with others even hours before. In the struggle to prevail in the battle of daily life in modern society, it is all too easy to compromise our own core values and beliefs for the sake of convenience, in the name of expedience, or simply because protecting these values does not rank high enough on our list of priorities.

Akhenaton would cringe at this. Although he lived in a much simpler time, as the ruler of the then-largest nation-state on the planet, he assuredly had his share of stressful moments during the course of any given day. But he would not divest himself of himself. We would all do well to incorporate this sense of inner conviction. Of course, doing so requires some inward reflection — and perhaps meditation — to identify and clarify our core beliefs and values.

Conclusion

Akhenaton's quote speaks to the inner conviction of a pharaoh whose reign was quite maligned but still successful. While facing battles to the North, infighting among his governors and vassals, and his own poor health, Akhenaton ruled Egypt until his death while instituting an entirely new religion — feats that offer Machiavellian proof of his fortitude and convictions (Moran 248–249).

Overall, the quote is both inspirational and motivational. It requires that a person have the honesty to identify their core values and beliefs, and the courage to stand by them. In fact, even without this quote or the analysis above, many people would likely agree that honor can reasonably be said to reside at the intersection of honesty and courage.

Works Cited

Freud, Sigmund. The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Volume XXIII (1937–1939). "Moses and Monotheism." London: Hogarth Press, 1964. Print.

Montserrat, Dominic. Akhenaten: History, Fantasy and Ancient Egypt. Routledge, 2000. Print.

Moran, William L. The Amarna Letters. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992. Print. pp. 230–260.

Thinkexist.com. "Famous Egyptian Men King Quotes." Quotations. 1999.