Moral Courage
Objective: The student can define moral courage and distinguish it from mere physical bravery.
Moral courage is the strength to do what is right and to speak the truth even when it costs you friends, comfort, reputation, or safety. It is closely tied to the cardinal virtue of fortitude, but where physical courage faces bodily danger, moral courage faces the harder danger of disapproval, ridicule, and standing alone. Its opposite vice is moral cowardice — going along with the crowd, staying silent in the face of wrong, or abandoning the truth to be liked or safe. This week's saint, Joan of Arc, is the perfect emblem: she faced not only English swords but a hostile court of learned churchmen who told her she was deceived, and she would not deny what she believed God had asked of her. Scripture anchors this virtue: 'Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid... for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go' (Joshua 1:9). Moral courage is not recklessness or stubbornness; it is steady conviction guided by a well-formed conscience. The morally courageous person can still be humble and even change their mind when shown they are wrong — what they will not do is betray the truth to win approval.
Discussion Questions
- 1What is the difference between courage and stubbornness?
- 2When is it harder to be morally brave than physically brave? Give an example from your own life.
Write down one situation this week where you might be tempted to stay silent when you should speak up, and a sentence on what moral courage would look like there.
Vocabulary
- moral courage
- Doing or saying what is right despite social cost or fear of disapproval.
- moral cowardice
- The vice of betraying the good to avoid disapproval or risk.
'Be strong and courageous... for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.' (Joshua 1:9)