By the direct dictionary definition, courage is defined as “The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear.” Courage is synonymous with bravery, but without guidance behind the courage, it turns into reckless, stupid action. The dictionary definition is adequate on the surface of courage, but there is much more that comprises actual courage. First are the three types of courage, being physical courage, endurance or intellectual courage, and moral courage. Next is the moral motivation behind the given courageous act. The final part of a complete definition of courage lies in the cause or purpose towards which a courageous act is performed. In order to begin a definition of courage,
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Physical courage is the kind that most people associate with the word when they visualize courage. Physical courage is the quality of spirit that allows for an individual to perform a stereotypical “heroic” action, such as saving a person from a burning building, or a soldier saving their entire squad from an attack. Physical courage requires an actual physical stress and “heroic” action towards the course of action that is morally correct. Any act that physically removes one or many people from danger is an example of physical courage. Physical courage manifests itself in the soldier fighting for his country and the firefighter rushing into the collapsing World Trade Center to save civilians. To have this kind of courage requires one to overcome the fear of a dangerous situation in order to achieve something “heroic” for the greater good. Physical courage is reached when fear and recklessness balance out, and can be channeled to help many …show more content…
This is the courage that is required to hold firm to a new idea and not give up under criticism. People like Charles Darwin and Galileo all possessed this kind of courage. It is human nature to resist change, and all of those people were victims of this criticism and resistance toward change. Darwin, an English naturalist was subjected to immense criticism when he released his theories on evolution and natural selection. His ideas faced massive criticism and hatred, and still do even to this day, even though they have been accepted and widely recognized as true, because his theory contradicted a belief of Christianity. Darwin endured nearly constant attacks on his studies, and that is what gave him intellectual courage. Galileo is a similar example, as his ideas concerning the physics of the universe contradicted the views of the church at the time. Galileo’s theories are the norm in this day and age, but at the time, Galileo was essentially placed in hell by the Pope for publishing his principles on astronomy. Despite these attacks, Galileo published his works, and for that reason he is remembered as a great mind of science. Without possessing intellectual courage and enduring, Galileo would never have been remembered for the great mind he was. Both of these men endured despite the constant criticism that they knew they would be subjected to by sharing their ideas. Without intellectual courage, the world would
Physical courage is the kind that most people associate with the word when they visualize courage. Physical courage is the quality of spirit that allows for an individual to perform a stereotypical “heroic” action, such as saving a person from a burning building, or a soldier saving their entire squad from an attack. Physical courage requires an actual physical stress and “heroic” action towards the course of action that is morally correct. Any act that physically removes one or many people from danger is an example of physical courage. Physical courage manifests itself in the soldier fighting for his country and the firefighter rushing into the collapsing World Trade Center to save civilians. To have this kind of courage requires one to overcome the fear of a dangerous situation in order to achieve something “heroic” for the greater good. Physical courage is reached when fear and recklessness balance out, and can be channeled to help many …show more content…
This is the courage that is required to hold firm to a new idea and not give up under criticism. People like Charles Darwin and Galileo all possessed this kind of courage. It is human nature to resist change, and all of those people were victims of this criticism and resistance toward change. Darwin, an English naturalist was subjected to immense criticism when he released his theories on evolution and natural selection. His ideas faced massive criticism and hatred, and still do even to this day, even though they have been accepted and widely recognized as true, because his theory contradicted a belief of Christianity. Darwin endured nearly constant attacks on his studies, and that is what gave him intellectual courage. Galileo is a similar example, as his ideas concerning the physics of the universe contradicted the views of the church at the time. Galileo’s theories are the norm in this day and age, but at the time, Galileo was essentially placed in hell by the Pope for publishing his principles on astronomy. Despite these attacks, Galileo published his works, and for that reason he is remembered as a great mind of science. Without possessing intellectual courage and enduring, Galileo would never have been remembered for the great mind he was. Both of these men endured despite the constant criticism that they knew they would be subjected to by sharing their ideas. Without intellectual courage, the world would