The moral courage

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
Judge your own moral behavior in terms of planning and execution in important moral experiences.

1. T H E M O R A L C O U R A G E R Y A N J A V I E R CU M B E Instructor

2. COURAGE Courage is one of the four fundamental virtues in the enduring tradition of moral character as identified by Plato ( Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2007 ).  Figure 2  contains the definition of moral character and other ethical terms used in this article. The other three fundamental virtues are temperance, justice, and wisdom. Moral courage is the ability to deal with the dilemmas inherent between these four virtues, along with an ability to endure distress, and the ability to overcome fear and stand up for one’s values.

3. COURAGE Courage is required to take action when one has doubts or fears about the consequences. Moral courage therefore involves deliberation or careful thought.

4. ELEMENTS OF COURAGE SELF-CONFIDENCE.   Courageous people believe in themselves. They know who they are and what they stand for. They have strong values, recognize their personal capabilities, and are confident in meeting the challenges that lie before them. Courageous people are passionate and purposeful. You can sense courageous people when they walk into a room — they have a bounce in their step, maintain a positive outlook, and are comfortable in their own skin.

5. ELEMENTS OF COURAGE CONVICTION.   You always know where courageous people stand. They’re passionate about their beliefs and values and have consistent and predictable behavior . They don’t blindly follow the crowd, waffle in the face of adversity, or change their opinion unless the change is supported by a strong, factual case.

6. ELEMENTS OF COURAGE INTEGRITY.   Courageous people know the difference between right and wrong. They don’t just talk about honor ; they live it every day by following the letter, as well as the spirit, of the law. They are trustworthy, objective, fair, and tolerant, and they stand up against injustice — backing their words with action.

7. ELEMENTS OF COURAGE LEADERSHIP.   Courageous people aren’t deterred by adversity or afraid of what people may think of them. Courageous leaders motivate people with personal charisma, expertise, integrity, and respect rather than by using their position or authority as a crutch. Courageous people are tough, but fair. While they may ask others to achieve the “impossible,” they ask of others only what they’re willing to do themselves.

8. ELEMENTS OF COURAGE COMPASSION.   Courageous people put other people’s needs ahead of their own. They know that the Captain must go down with the ship and that being selfless helps to gain the respect of friends and colleagues .

9. ELEMENTS OF COURAGE OBJECTIVITY.   Courageous people understand the importance of trust, honesty, and full disclosure while confronting people who hide behind untruths. They believe that people are willing to make tough decisions if the options are presented to them in an open, honest, and objective manner. They also believe that people should admit their mistakes, learn from them, and move on rather than waste precious time playing politics.

10. ELEMENTS OF COURAGE STRENGTH IN ADVERSITY.   Courageous people aren’t afraid of swimming against the tide or challenging the status quo. They stare adversity in the eye — running toward the problem rather than away from it. They know that saying “no” to one idea may enable them to say “yes” to another, and that old ways of doing things shouldn’t stand in the way of a better.

11. ELEMENTS OF COURAGE CHANGE MASTERS.   Courageous people step outside their comfort zone to meet the challenges that lie ahead. They know that change is part of life and that some of the greatest advances have been realized by embracing change.

12. ELEMENTS OF COURAGE EMBRACE THE UNKNOWN.   Courageous people follow their intuition. If information required to make a good decision isn’t available, they follow their instincts.

13. ELEMENTS OF COURAGE ACTION.   Courageous people put their money where their mouth is. They know that it’s not enough to talk about doing something — instead, they act.

14. MORAL COURAGE is the  courage  to take action for  moral  reasons despite the risk of adverse consequences. 

15. MORAL COURAGE “doing the right thing even at the risk of inconvenience, ridicule, punishment, loss of job or security or social status, etc.”

16. WILL It refers to that capacity of the mind chooses at the moment of making decision.

17. The strongest desire from among the various desires present. WILL

18. ELEMENTS OF MORAL COURAGE PRINCIPLES DANGER ENDURANCE MORAL COURAGE

19. a comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption a rule or  code  of conduct habitual devotion to right principles a man of  principle the laws or facts of nature underlying the working of an artificial device PRINCIPLE

20. exposure or liability to injury, pain, harm, or loss a case or cause of danger archaic  :  JURISDICTION obsolete  :  REACH ,  RANGE obsolete  :  HARM ,  DAMAGE DANGER

21.   the ability to withstand hardship or adversity the act or an instance of  enduring  or suffering PERMANENCE ,  DURATION ENDURANCE

22. MILLER ELEMENTS OF MORAL COURAGE Recognizing a moral or ethical situation Making a moral choice or decision Acting upon the decision

23. Accepting responsibility for the decision and behavior Fearing the consequences of the decision and actions but overcoming it Can be developed by practice and imitation of good role models – Who are your heroes? MILLER ELEMENTS OF MORAL COURAGE

24. MORAL COURAGE LOOKS LIKE: turning in a toy or a wallet to the Lost and Found a teen who calls home for a ride from a party where alcohol is being served a teacher who gives all students an equal voice regardless of race, socioeconomic status, religion, gender or sexual orientation a company whistle blower risking job loss, financial cost, and or legal repercussion reporting a crime participating in a peaceful protest

25. helping someone push a car out of a snowbank, even if it means being late standing up to a bully on the playground picking up litter doing homework or chores without being reminded refusing to listen to or repeat gossip practicing what you preach, even when no-one is looking or knows MORAL COURAGE LOOKS LIKE:

26. LACK OF MORAL COURAGE LOOKS LIKE: walking away from someone in need taking more than your fair share laughing at someone’s misfortune or accident grabbing the spotlight from someone who has earned it placing too much reliance on the letter rather than the spirit of the law

27. remaining silent in the face of wrong-doing or injustice rationalizations or justifications for action/lack of action being inconsistent or capricious with rules and standards for our children choosing sides after seeing which way the wind is blowing breaking a promise lying or cheating LACK OF MORAL COURAGE LOOKS LIKE:

28. MORAL COURAGE SOUNDS LIKE: “I believe strongly in _________.” “That joke was offensive to women/Muslims/the disabled/etc.” “Let’s volunteer.” “Dad, I’m in trouble.” “I am going to campaign for __________.” “It’s not fair that ____________.”

29. “I broke this, Mom.  I’m sorry.” “I’ll march with you.” “No, thanks, I don’t want to hear a secret!”  “You shouldn’t talk behind her/his back.” “Will you sign this petition?”  “You can depend on me.” MORAL COURAGE SOUNDS LIKE:

30. LACK OF MORAL COURAGE SOUNDS LIKE: “It’s none of my business.” “She got what she deserved.” “That’s got nothing to do with me.” “How could you do this to me?” “It’s not for me to judge.” * “I only did it once.” “This is all your fault!”

31. “Just let it slide.” “There’s no use trying to change the system, it’s just too strong.” “Nobody else is doing anything about it, why should I?” “I might get into trouble.” “Don’t make waves.” “Nobody ever gives me a break.” LACK OF MORAL COURAGE SOUNDS LIKE: