In what way is courage NOT a virtue ?

Question

Sorry for the down thumbs...it's not me

Answer 1

When you allow it to be undrmined by the cowards.

Answer 2

when courage means having the guts to interfere into someone's life and play destiny for them, when courage means talking rudely to someone you meet at random, when courage means breaking a law...

Answer 3

If you think of virtue as the ability to face danger, pain, fear, suffering, etc then it isn't really a virtue per se. My thinking is this: A virtue is some sort of positive moral quality. Virtues generally have opposites, ie vices. The opposite of courage is some sort of fear. I think you'd be hard pressed to make a case that there is something morally wrong with fear, and I've never seen anyone list fear as a vice. So if fear isn't morally wrong, then the ability to face it (i.e. courage) isn't morally right. So it's not really a question of virtue. You could make a case for the existence of "moral courage" as a virtuous trait, but that isn't courage qua courage.

Answer 4

it can kill you.

people can use it to manipulate you like in the medieval ages when courage was really revered, courageous people went to war. but really war is not good and so courage what could be the motivating force would be bad.

Answer 5

Courage born out of fear as not a virtue.  This kind of so-called courage is in every ones' biological makeup.

Fight or flight?  Where is the virtue in that?

Answer 6

Hmm...

Elizabeth Tailor said something like this :-

"The trouble with people that have no vices is you can be pretty sure they will have some pretty annoying virtues"

It's all relative I guess.

Answer 7

When it endangers others or innocent bystanders.

Answer 8

When courage is just an excuse for someone to face his life facts in a pathetic way.

Answer 9

When it drove over conscience.

Answer 10

When it pushes its way past discretion.

Answer 11

courage is not a virtue when it is used in a wrongful way . . . .he had the courage to rob a bank . . . .or the courage to kill a man