Aristotle describes five states of character that are improperly called courage. They include the courage of a citizen-soldier, courage of a professional soldier, courage instigated by passion, courage of the sanguine people and courage displayed by individuals ignorant of danger. For the purpose of this paper, we will discuss the courage of a professional soldier and courage displayed by individuals ignorant of danger.
In addition, for the two states of character that you named, provide Aristotle's explanation as to why it is a mistake when a person calls these states of character "courage."
Courage of a professional soldier
Experience concerning particular details is as well thought to be bravery; this is certainly the grounds as to why mighty Socrates considered courage was equated to knowledge. Individuals display this virtue in other perils, and expert soldiers display it in the menaces of confrontations; for there appear to be numerous empty alarms in combat, of which these have had the most complete occurrence; consequently they appear courageous, since the others do not recognize the forms of the facts. In addition, their experience puts them in a position where they are most competent in combat and in defense, because they can employ their body and have the type that are probable to be best in this consequently they battle like fortified men in opposition to defenseless individuals. However, they become cowards when the threat puts too enormous a sprain on them in addition to them being inferior in numbers and paraphernalia; since they are the first people to run, whilst citizen-forces expire at their posts, as actually occurred at the temple of Hermes.
Courage displayed by individuals ignorant of danger
Individuals who are unaware of the threat also emerge as courageous, as well as that they are not far detached from those of a sanguine anger, however are mediocre in as much as they have no independence whereas these have. Therefore as well the sanguine hold ground for a moment; however those who have been mislead concerning the details run away from danger if they identify or suppose that these are dissimilar from what they believed, as occurred to the Argives who collapsed with the Spartans and confused them as the Sicyonians (Chapter VIII).
Work Cited
Aristotle. The Nicomachean Ethics. Trans. by David Ross. New York: Oxford University Press. 2009.
