Concept

Courage

Overview

Courage (also called bravery, valour (British and Commonwealth English), or valor (American English)) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valour is courage or bravery, especially in battle.

Physical courage is bravery in the face of physical pain, hardship, even death, or threat of death; while moral courage is the ability to act rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame, scandal, discouragement, or personal loss.

The classical virtue of fortitude (andreia, fortitudo) is also translated as "courage", but includes the aspects of perseverance and patience. In the Western tradition, notable thoughts on courage have come from philosophers Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, and Kierkegaard; as well as Christian beliefs and texts.

In the Hindu tradition, mythology has given many examples of courage; with examples of both physical and moral courage exemplified. In the Eastern tradition, the Chinese text Tao Te Ching offers a great deal of thoughts on courage; both physical and moral.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).

In the original texts

Passages from public-domain books where Courage is discussed.

1. _Al._ Certainly. _Soc._ What would you say of courage? At what price would you be willing to be deprived of courage? _Al._ I would rather die than be a coward. _Soc._ Then you think that cowardice is the worst of evils? _Al._ I do. _Soc._ As bad as death, I suppose? _Al._ Yes. _Soc._ And life and courage are the extreme opposites of death and cowardice? _Al._ Yes. _Soc._ And they are what you would most desire to…

   Plato, The dialogues of Plato in five volumes, Vol. 2

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2. SOCRATES: And is anything noble which is evil and hurtful? LACHES: I ought not to say that, Socrates. SOCRATES: Then you would not admit that sort of endurance to be courage--for it is not noble, but courage is noble? LACHES: You are right. SOCRATES: Then, according to you, only the wise endurance is courage? LACHES: True. SOCRATES: But as to the epithet 'wise,'--wise in what? In all things small as well as great?

   Plato, Laches

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3. Again, in some cases an extreme will bear a resemblance to the mean; rashness, for instance, to courage, and prodigality to liberality; but between the extremes there is the greatest dissimilarity. Now things which are furthest from one another[20] are defined to be contrary, and so the further off the more contrary will they be. Further: of the extremes in some cases the excess, and in others the defect, is most…

   Aristotle, The Nicomachean ethics of Aristotle

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4. And above all there is the courage to think calmly and rationally in the face of danger, and to control the impulse of panic fear or panic rage. These are certainly things which education can help to give. And the teaching of every form of courage is rendered easier by good health, good physique, adequate nourishment, and free play for fundamental vital impulses. Perhaps the physiological sources of courage could be…

   Bertrand Russell, What I believe

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5. Note.--All actions following from emotion, which are attributable to the mind in virtue of its understanding, I set down to strength of character (fortitudo), which I divide into courage (animositas) and highmindedness (generositas). By courage I mean the desire whereby every man strives to preserve his own being in accordance solely with the dictates of reason. By highmindedness I mean the desire whereby every man…

   Benedictus de Spinoza, Ethics

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Philosophers who discussed Courage

• Walter Kaufmann (philosopher)
• Thomas Aquinas
• Antiochus of Ascalon
• Josef Pieper

Related ideas

• Socratic dialogue
• An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals
• Friedrich Nietzsche
• Francisco Goya
• Anglicanism
• Ambrose
• Hero
• Northern Europe
• Satya
• Republic (Plato)
• Love
• American English
• Leviathan (Hobbes book)
• Thomas Aquinas
• Plato
• Pain
• Religion
• Roman Empire
• Socrates
• A Treatise of Human Nature
• Søren Kierkegaard
• Soul
• Salvation
• Thomas Hobbes

Opposing perspectives

• Value theory
• State of nature
• Ethics

Place in the tradition

Part of Absurdism.

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