The man moreover who exceeds in feeling fear is a coward, since there
attach to him the circumstances of fearing wrong objects, in wrong
ways, and so forth. He is deficient also in feeling confidence, but he
is most clearly seen as exceeding in the case of pains; he is a
fainthearted kind of man, for he fears all things: the Brave man is
just the contrary, for boldness is the property of the light-hearted
and hopeful.
So the coward, the rash, and the Brave man have exactly the same
object-matter, but stand differently related to it: the two
first-mentioned respectively exceed and are deficient, the last is in a
mean state and as he ought to be. The rash again are precipitate, and,
being eager before danger, when actually in it fall away, while the
Brave are quick and sharp in action, but before are quiet and composed.
Well then, as has been said, Courage is a mean state in respect of
objects inspiring boldness or fear, in the circumstances which have
been stated, and the Brave man chooses his line and withstands danger
either because to do so is honourable, or because not to do so is base.
But dying to escape from poverty, or the pangs of love, or anything
that is simply painful, is the act not of a Brave man but of a coward;
because it is mere softness to fly from what is toilsome, and the
suicide braves the terrors of death not because it is honourable but to
get out of the reach of evil.
Chapter XI.
Courage proper is somewhat of the kind I have described, but there are
dispositions, differing in five ways,[18] which also bear in common
parlance the name of Courage.
We will take first that which bears most resemblance to the true, the
Courage of Citizenship, so named because the motives which are thought
to actuate the members of a community in braving danger are the
penalties and disgrace held out by the laws to cowardice, and the
dignities conferred on the Brave; which is thought to be the reason why
those are the bravest people among whom cowards are visited with
disgrace and the Brave held in honour.
Such is the kind of Courage Homer exhibits in his characters; Diomed
and Hector for example. The latter says,
“Polydamas will be the first to fix
Disgrace upon me.”
Diomed again,
“For Hector surely will hereafter say,
Speaking in Troy, Tydides by my hand”—
This I say most nearly resembles the Courage before spoken of, because
it arises from virtue, from a feeling of shame, and a desire of what is
noble (that is, of honour), and avoidance of disgrace which is base.
In the same rank one would be inclined to place those also who act
under compulsion from their commanders; yet are they really lower,
because not a sense of honour but fear is the motive from which they
act, and what they seek to avoid is not that which is base but that
which is simply painful: commanders do in fact compel their men
sometimes, as Hector says (to quote Homer again),