Forward into Battle: The Concept of Courage in Military Contexts

Abstract

This thesis explores various dimensions of the concept of courage, particularly in military contexts. It examines common elements, which characterize courage in general, distinguishing features, which are unique to courage in military situations. Additionally, it examines the relationship between courage and the military ethos. In doing so, it utilizes a number of approaches including linguistic study, historical interpretation, and philosophical analysis. It considers courage through the examples, synonyms, and definitions; as well as through the works of various philosophers, ranging from Plato to Douglas Walton. A major finding of this thesis is that courage, being something both unusual and inconsistent, has a special status among virtues. It appears to be an autonomous virtue, at least in regards to the military, and as such, it shapes the military ethos in a distinctive manner.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 03, 1989
Accession Number
ADA206973

Entities

People

  • John D. Becker

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • California
  • Classification
  • Commercial Aircraft
  • Dictionaries
  • First Aid
  • Guns
  • Health Services
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Science
  • Motivation
  • Personality
  • Psychology
  • Public Health
  • Schools
  • Training
  • United States
  • Warfare

Readers

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