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The Limits of Courage

by Gordon Francis Corbett

            Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines courage as, “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” 

            Because we all want to prevent harm, we all admire courage.  Sometimes, we have it;  sometimes, we lack it.  Physical courage lets us stand up to a bully or enter a burning house.  Moral courage lets us defend an unpopular cause or face people we have let down.

            Nevertheless, courage is limited by its nature.  Courage is not cleanliness, reverence, honesty, industry, or any of the other virtues, whose natures limit them.

            War heroes exemplify courage.  Because we admire it, and because we imagine that it will let them discharge their duties faithfully, we sometimes elect them to public office. 

            Unfortunately, we do not know whether, or to what, they will be faithful.  Their political philosophies will determine that, and philosophy is a thing very different from courage.  Courage is simple and elemental;  philosophy is an often abstract intellectual construct.   

            Consider two men who served very honorably in our Armed Forces, but whose philosophical differences produced very different results in public office.  Former prisoner of war Senator Jeremiah Denton served Alabama, and our Constitution, well.  Medal of Honor winner Senator Robert Kerrey brought home the bacon for Nebraska, but he was no Constitutionalist.

            These men illustrate why we should not vote for war heroes merely because they are war heroes.  We should vote for anyone only if that individual will serve our political goals.  If he, or she, served heroically in our Armed Forces, so much the better;  but we must never let the red badge of courage blind us to the bright light of philosophy.

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