Description
What is courage? When a bystander plunges through a wall of flames to go to the aid of a critically injured accident victim, we immediately recognize this as a courageous act. But what is it about this act that we admire as an act of valor? Is courage the hot-blooded charge into danger by one person in a situation where others stand back? Or is it an act of "grace under pressure," the act of a cool, quick head in a difficult situation?
Douglas N. Walton addresses these questions in the first book-length discussion of the concept of courage as an important aspect of moral philosophy. Walton argues that courage is a quality of personal merit and excellence of conduct. He develops an ethical theory in which acts of courage are viewed as expressions of moral commitment to an ideal in accord with reasoned conviction, carried out in circumstances of hardship, danger, and crisis. The virtue of courage emerges when the inner best of personal integrity comes up against the worst external situations. Such acts of moral commitment, Walton asserts, ought to be ranked higher as ideals of moral excellence, alongside scientific and artistic achievements.
Courage: A Philosophical Investigation is a clearly written, original work that will be of interest to philosophers and all those who seek understanding of what causes any individual to forsake personal safety and perform a heroic act. Walton has interwoven the text of his book with many fascinating accounts of courageous acts-both recent and historical-which serve to illustrate his philosophical issues. This work has significant implications for the study of virtue ethics, and it firmly establishes courage as an important virtue deserving utmost consideration in moral philosophy. ISBN:9780520054431
