骑士精神，是中世纪欧洲上层社会的贵族精神文明，它是以个人身份的优越感为基础的道德与人格的表现，但它也积淀着西欧民族远古尚武精神的某些积极因素，继承了古代欧洲部落文明至早期工商业文明历史以来的尚武精神，代表了中世纪贵族的高尚品格。

在中世纪，骑士们是贵族并属于国家的精英阶级，作为骑士有保卫教会及国家的责任。在战争来临时，骑士必定身先士卒保护弱小，与日本的尚武文化有不少相似之处。除此之外，骑士亦有对野蛮地区进行文明教化的责任。骑士作为贵族，实际上是国家的统治者，但不像奴隶制国家一样，统治者以上帝视角统治人民，每逢战争来临，统治者必定逃之夭夭，骑士在战争来临时勇于牺牲不畏缩退却。骑士精神包括了英勇无畏、勇于牺牲、崇尚荣誉、怜悯弱者、诚实守信、谦卑礼貌、执着、大公无私这些美德。中世纪骑士亦有漠视骑士精神的例子，例如查理大帝的孙子们之间的冲突，日耳曼部落酋长会均分遗产给儿子，兄弟之间便为了争夺财产引发战争。

Chivalry, or the chivalric code, is a code of conduct associated with the medieval institution of knighthood which developed between 1170 and 1220.

The code of chivalry that developed in medieval Europe had its roots in earlier centuries. It arose in the Holy Roman Empire from the idealisation of the cavalryman—involving military bravery, individual training, and service to others—especially in Francia, among horse soldiers in Charlemagne's cavalry. The term chivalry derives from the Old French term chevalerie, which can be translated to "horse soldiery". Gautier states that knighthood emerged from the Moors as well as the Teutonic forests and was nurtured into civilization and chivalry by the Catholic Church.