The True Meaning of "Courage" in Aristotle's Ethics

For Aristotle, "courage" is the mean between "recklessness" and "fear": a person facing danger feels fear proportionate to the situation, yet has enough confidence and resolve to act in accordance with reason and judgment.

Aristotle, a Greek philosopher who lived from 384 to 322 BC, considered courage to be the ability to perform an honorable action in the face of danger. He presented bravery on the battlefield as an outstanding example of this virtue.

According to Faradid's report; Aristotle wrote at least two and possibly three treatises on ethics; However, there is a difference of opinion about their exact number. His most famous moral work is the Nicomachean Ethics, which contains his most important views on how to live a good and happy life. The ideas of this book, despite the passage of more than two thousand years, are still important for understanding human behavior and choices.

Understanding fear, danger and how we react to threatening situations

In the third book of the Nicomachean Ethics, especially chapters 6 to 9, when discussing the virtue of courage, Aristotle explains that it is the middle ground between recklessness and fear. These two states are inversely proportional: the more fear is, the less fear and vice versa.

However, courage is not simply about being somewhere between fear and recklessness. According to Aristotle, courage is revealed above all in standing up to what causes fear. The reason for this is that it is more difficult to endure pain than to forego pleasure. Thus, one who perseveres in the face of adversity exhibits a virtue that cannot be explained by mere confidence or excitement.

Fear arises from the anticipation of some kind of evil or harm. Therefore, fear is not just a passing emotion, but is related to a belief or judgment about the possibility of future harm. However, not all fear is bad, and not all fear is a matter of courage. For example, the fear of harming one's moral character or tarnishing one's reputation can be healthy and beneficial.

Also, one who has no fear of just punishment is not necessarily brave; Such behavior may be close to shamelessness. A person should feel remorse for the mistake he committed and fear the vice that led him to that crime.

To clarify the meaning of courage, Aristotle considers death as the most extreme and ultimate example of fear. He then considers bravery on the battlefield to be the most honorable form of facing this fear; Because in situations where a person puts everything at risk, the true characteristics of his character are revealed. Therefore, courage means being able to stand firm in a situation where all one's possessions may be lost.

Finding the middle ground between recklessness and cowardice

Aristotle believes that humans react differently to horrible situations. Of course, some events, such as earthquakes or devastating floods, may be beyond human endurance. Courage is related to situations that a person is able to face and endure their difficulties.

When making a decision, a brave person takes into account the various characteristics of the action: its duration, the right time to do it, the person or thing the action is aimed at, the tools and equipment used, the way the action is performed, and the motivation for doing it. He measures these factors according to the circumstances and takes action to reach an honorable goal; Or at least he refuses to give up, retreat and run away in a situation where such a thing is a shame.

As a result, courage as a middle limit means that a person is afraid of the risks that he really and rationally should be afraid of and does not ignore the risks; But despite this fear, proceed according to your rational judgment.

According to Aristotle, excess in this context has two forms. The first form, although very rare, is related to a person who is absolutely not afraid of anything. Aristotle considers such a person to be mad or lacking a proper sense of danger. The more common form of excess is recklessness.

A reckless person is not brave because his goal is not necessarily to do something honorable. He mostly wants to appear brave, so he overestimates his abilities and takes on responsibilities beyond his capacity. When faced with a real difficulty, his false confidence crumbles and he stops going. Therefore, recklessness is a combination of an extreme desire to appear brave and a kind of hidden cowardice.

On the other hand, the vice caused by lack is cowardice. A coward is either overly afraid or afraid of things that should not be a source of fear. According to Aristotle, such a person may fall into despair and find himself unable to act, move forward and face new challenges successfully. As a result, he loses the opportunity to grow and experience life.

A coward, a reckless person, and a brave person may face the same facts but react differently. According to Aristotle, the difference between a good life and failure is revealed in the way we face situations.

Aristotle distinguishes between true bravery and behaviors that only have the appearance of bravery. He identifies five types of behavior that may be mistaken for courage.

First, there are those who face danger out of fear of punishment or to gain fame and honor. The behavior of these people cannot be trusted, because their main motivation is not a commitment based on honorable goals, but they are influenced by negative consequences or external rewards.

The second category is people who act bravely because of their experience or skill. Such individuals may perform admirably in familiar situations, but hesitate when faced with unfamiliar danger. Therefore, their courage depends more on skill and situation awareness than on firmness of character.

The third category are those who defend themselves with excitement when provoked or faced with an enemy. Emotions and anger may contribute to courage, but they do not alone define it. Courageous action must also have right judgment and conscious choice.

The fourth category is people who are confident because of past successes and act boldly because they expect to win again. The self-confidence of these people depends on the circumstances and the probability of success, not on a stable moral character that keeps them committed to doing the right thing even in the face of failure.

Finally, the fifth category is those who face danger out of ignorance. These people may seem brave, but their behavior is not true bravery; Because according to Aristotle, virtue requires a conscious choice. A person who does not recognize danger or is unaware of the reality of the situation cannot be considered brave simply because he is not afraid.

So in short, courage is neither the absence of fear nor the willingness to take risks to prove one's abilities. True courage is formed when a person recognizes the danger, weighs it with reason, and despite the fear appropriate to the situation, consciously walks in the path of something worth defending.