|
|
|
This is a Biblical evaluation of Aristotle's views regarding courage . According
to Aristotle courage is voluntary, it is a choice that people make and it is a choice that
everyone has to make. According to the Bible this is a biblical view. In
Mark 15:43 it says " Joseph from Arimathea (who was waiting for the Kingdom of
God to come), gathered his courage and
went to Pilate to ask for Jesus' body. " * Note the words
"gathered his courage" this implies that he had to collect or set his mind in
such a way that he would expend all his fears long enough to ask Pilate for Jesus' body.
He was not rash in that he thought this through carefully enough to
"gather" his courage, he was not coward in that he failed to ask for Jesus'
body, he was brave because he "gathered his courage and went to Pilate to ask for
Jesus' body." A courageous man will think things through, look at all the pro's
and con's before acting. This is why Aristotle's statement that courage is a choice
is Biblical because it is a choice, you either chose to do it or you don't!
Courage is not something men are born with, it is something they acquire. Aristotle
says that's every man faces the same decisions and chooses, it is how they chose that
determines who is a coward, who is rash and who is brave . " The coward, the
rash man and the brave man are concerned with the same object but act differently toward
them. " Also according to Aristotle men become courageous when he wrote
“ Now at the end of every activity is conformity to the corresponding sate of
character. This is true there of the brave men as well as others. But courage is noble.
Therefore the end is also noble for its end defines each thing. Therefore it is for a
noble end that brave men endure and act as courage directs. “ So men are
courageous when their end or goal is noble. According to the Bible, a goal is not
what makes man courageous but their faith in God . Paul in Acts 27:25a says " So take
courage! For I believe God."
Paul is telling the Christians in Acts chapter 27 to take courage, or have faith
because God is going to take care of them . Knowing that God would protect and
provide for them is what enabled Paul and the early Christians to be courageous. In
1st Thessalonians 2 we again read of the persecution of the Christians. Despite
persecution they write in 1st Thessalonians 2:2 " You know how badly we had
been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good
News to you boldly, even though we were surrounded by many who opposed us. "
God gave them the courage to tell others of his word! So, I
believe that the Bible says courage comes from trust and faith in God not in setting noble
goals.
Aristotle also said “Courage is a mean with respect to things that inspire
confidence or fear…and it chooses or endures things because it is base not to do so.
“ This sounds more like pride , fear of failing and looking bad that courage .
We have already seen that courage is because of faith and trust in God and his strength in
us, not in our own human strength. Aristotle goes on to say that courage is not
true courage until one is courageous at all costs, including death. This type of courage is Biblical, again looking at
1st Thessalonians 2:2 we see that the Christians in Philippi were facing terrible
persecution , yet they continued to share their faith in Christ, willing to face death
because God gave them the courage to "declare his Good News to you boldly, even
though we were surrounded by many who opposed us."
In the face of opposition and death they proclaimed the name of Christ. This
is true, Biblical, Christ-like courage, and even though Aristotle doesn't say that courage
comes from Christ. In this respect I believe the same principal is there. Courage is
also forgetting fear and enduring the things that come with courageous acts. Aristotle
says that "“We show
courage in situations where this is the opportunity of showing prowess or where death is
noble.” When one forgets their fear and acts upon their training and
endures the suffering they are courageous. According to the Bible Paul disregarded
his own comfort and well-being in order to further the Gospel. According to
Aristotle, courage is only shown when death is noble. Paul's death was not noble, in fact
he died in a manner not un-like that of a common thief. However, Paul was one of the
courageous disciples in the Bible. Paul wrote in Hebrews 6:18 " So God has
given us both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is
impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can take new courage, for we can hold on to his promise with
confidence. " Paul told the Christians to take courage because God was going to
strengthen, comfort and provide for them. To "take courage" means to forget your
fear and endure, as Christians we are to "take courage" forget our fear of man
and endure for Christ's sake. Aristotle said “
No, we fear all evils (disgrace, poverty, disease, friendlessness, death) but the brave
man is not thought to be concerned with all for to fear something is even right and noble
and it is base not to fear them-eg disgrace, he who fears this is good and modest and he
who does not is shameless. He is however by some people called brave by a transference of
the word.” By this, brave men do fear but they chose to put those fears aside.
In doing so they endure. Men show courage because they endure pain and separation to
achieve a greater end. To be a courageous Christian we must forget our fear of
mankind and endure all the hardship of this world in order to proclaim the name of Christ. The Bible says in Hebrews 13:6 "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is
my helper, and I will not fear
what man shall do unto me. " **Paul isn't saying
that Christians do not fear man, because we do, he is saying that we should not fear man.
We should replace our fear with courage in knowing that God will protect and care for us.
It is then Biblical to set aside your fears and endure as Aristotle says is demanded if we
are to be courageous.
Alright so this is Aristotle's view and the Biblical evaluation but surely there are other examples of courage right? Sure! Next lets travel to the world of Shakespeare and look at his famous King Henry series. The drama we will look at next is Shakespeare's Henry the V. Click here to proceed Click here to return to Navigation *
All verses quoted are taken from the NEW LIVING TRANSLATION (NLT) **
Taken from the KING JAMES VERSION (KJV) |