Courage Is The Preservation Of A Moral Knowledge - 1107 Words

Todd Link Lieutenant Colonel Uhl Philosophy 310 13 September 2015 Knowledge is Power†¦and Apparently Knowledge is Courage Too â€Å"We can’t do it†¦ We’re gonna be in the Hudson.† These were Captain Chesley B. â€Å"Sully† Sullenberger’s unforgettable words on 15 January 2009, just minutes before he miraculously landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River after losing both engines due to multiple bird strikes two minutes after takeoff (US). Due to the extensive training, considerable flying time, and the experience as a glider pilot held by Sully, many today would claim that Sully was not courageous but rather experienced and prepared. For these exact same reasons, however, Socrates would vigorously proclaim Sully’s courage. To Socrates,†¦show more content†¦The interesting part about Socrates’ definition is that it hinges on knowledge. Socrates would not call a child who is deathly afraid of heights yet still climbs a stable platform courageous. By Socrates’ definitio n of courage, one must understand what is worthy of apprehension—this understanding is gained through wisdom. Socrates attributes courage to the component of the human being he labels the spirit, but he links courage to wisdom. When the spirit â€Å"preserves through pains and pleasures the pronouncements of reason about what should inspire terror and what should not,† the individual would be deemed courageous (442b13-c3). It is important to note that those pronouncements stem from wisdom—without the wisdom to correctly judge things as worthy of terror or not, courage is impossible. The kind of wisdom Socrates associates with courage knows what things should be feared and what things should be faced with confidence. Jumping in front of a train to save somebody can wisely be faced with confidence because the cause is just. The emphasis is on what the person risks compared to what that person is aiming at, what is â€Å"more noble.† The wisdom and knowledge associated with wisdom are oriented about that comparison. Socrates states it is imperative that one’s correct beliefs of what should and should not inspire terror must be unwavering—unaffected by pleasures, pains, appetites, or fears (429c12-13). This introduces a subtle element of Socrates’ definition of courage: