Bushido, the way of the samurai (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushido), would advocate that the samurai's honor is in serving your master, obedience must be unconditional, whether or not the master is honorable. Specifically the master could order the samurai to take dishonorable or illegal actions, and the samurai would do so, then expiate his crime by taking his own life. (http://www.shotokai.cl/filosofia/06_ee_.html)
The samurai were also bound to avenge the death of their master, but that's a slightly different matter. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty-seven_Ronin)
The Japanese of olden times would obviously consider the servant honorable in their service.
Westerners like me would say that it is dishonorable to continue to serve a master once we believe that the master is dishonorable. It is written into our military code that we may refuse orders we consider to be illegal or morally wrong. Therefore, it would be sullying our personal honor to serve a master who was dishonorable.
However, we might take honor in serving a master who was dishonored through no fault of his own or was working to atone for his dishonor.
no subject
The samurai were also bound to avenge the death of their master, but that's a slightly different matter. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty-seven_Ronin)
The Japanese of olden times would obviously consider the servant honorable in their service.
Westerners like me would say that it is dishonorable to continue to serve a master once we believe that the master is dishonorable. It is written into our military code that we may refuse orders we consider to be illegal or morally wrong. Therefore, it would be sullying our personal honor to serve a master who was dishonorable.
However, we might take honor in serving a master who was dishonored through no fault of his own or was working to atone for his dishonor.
IMO it's culturally dependent.