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Single Idea 20197

[filed under theme 23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / d. Courage ]

Full Idea

In the case of a courageous Nazi soldier, my position is that a virtue is worth having even in those cases in which it makes a person worse overall.

Gist of Idea

The courage of an evil person is still a quality worth having

Source

Linda Trinkaus Zagzebski (Virtues of the Mind [1996], II 2.2)

Book Ref

Zagzebski,Linda: 'Virtues of the Mind' [CUP 1996], p.93

A Reaction

A brave claim, which seems right. If a nasty Nazi reforms, they will at least have one good quality which can be put to constructive use.

The 15 ideas with the same theme [virtuous resistance to fear and danger]:

23907 Courage is scientific knowledge [Socrates, by Aristotle]
293 Being unafraid (perhaps through ignorance) and being brave are two different things [Plato]
5224 Strictly speaking, a courageous person is one who does not fear an honourable death [Aristotle]
5226 True courage is an appropriate response to a dangerous situation [Aristotle]
23905 Courage follows reason, which tells us to choose what is noble [Aristotle]
7283 Great courage is not violent [Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)]
6014 Panaetius identified courage with great-mindedness, preferring civic courage to military [Panaetius, by Asmis]
17225 In a free man, choosing flight can show as much strength of mind as fighting [Spinoza]
6241 Contempt of danger is just madness if it is not in some worthy cause [Hutcheson]
20257 Cool courage and feverish bravery have one name, but are two very different virtues [Nietzsche]
15606 Military idea: what does not kill me makes me stronger [Nietzsche]
3848 Cowards are responsible for their cowardice [Sartre]
15640 Courage is not a virtue, but the form of every virtue at its testing point [Lewis,CS]
22400 Courage overcomes the fears which should be overcome, and doesn't overvalue personal safety [Foot]
20197 The courage of an evil person is still a quality worth having [Zagzebski]