Editing Courage (section)

====Pre-19th century====
[[Thomas Hobbes]] lists virtues into the categories of moral virtues and virtues of men in his work ''Man and Citizen''.{{sfn|Hobbes|1972|pp=68–70}} Hobbes outlines moral virtues as virtues in citizens, that is virtues that without exception are beneficial to society as a whole.{{sfn|Hobbes|1972|pp=17–18}} These moral virtues are justice (i.e. not violating the law) and charity. Courage as well as prudence and temperance are listed as the virtues of men.{{sfn|Hobbes|1972|pp=68–70}} By this Hobbes means that these virtues are invested solely in the private good as opposed to the public good of justice and charity. Hobbes describes courage and prudence as strengths of mind as opposed to a goodness of manners. These virtues are always meant to act in the interests of individual while the positive and/or negative effects of society are merely a byproduct. This stems forth from the idea put forth in ''[[Leviathan (Hobbes book)|Leviathan]]'' that the [[state of nature]] is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short" and self-preservation is the most fundamental aspect of behavior. According to Hobbes courage is a virtue of the individual in order to ensure a better chance of survival while the moral virtues address Hobbes's social contract which civilized men display (in varying degrees) in order to transcend the state of nature.{{sfn|Hobbes|1972|p=290}} Hobbes also uses the idea of fortitude as a virtue. Fortitude is "to dare" according to Hobbes, but also to "resist stoutly in present dangers".{{sfn|Hobbes|1972|pp=150–52}} This is a more in-depth elaboration of Hobbes's concept of courage that is addressed earlier in {{clarify|text=''Man and Citizen''|reason=not listed here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Hobbes#Works|date=July 2023}}.

[[David Hume]] listed virtues into two categories in his work ''[[A Treatise of Human Nature]]'': artificial virtues and natural virtues. Hume categorized courage as a natural virtue. In the ''Treatise'''s section "Of Pride and Humility, Their Objects and Causes", Hume wrote that courage is a cause of pride: "Every valuable quality of the mind, whether of the imagination, judgment, memory or disposition; wit, good-sense, learning, courage, justice, integrity; all these are the cause of pride; and their opposites of humility".{{sfn|Hume|1751|p=434}} 

Hume also wrote that courage and joy have positive effects on the [[soul]]: "...since the soul, when elevated with joy and courage, in a manner seeks opposition, and throws itself with alacrity into any scene of thought or action, where its courage meets with matter to nourish and employ it".{{sfn|Hume|1751|p=666}} Along with courage nourishing and employing, Hume also wrote that courage defends humans in the ''Treatise'': "We easily gain from the liberality of others, but are always in danger of losing by their avarice: Courage defends us, but cowardice lays us open to every attack".{{sfn|Hume|1751|p=459}}

Hume considered what excessive courage does to a hero's character in the ''Treatise'''s section "Of the Other Virtues and Vices": "Accordingly we may observe, that an excessive courage and magnanimity, especially when it displays itself under the frowns of fortune, contributes in a great measure, to the character of a hero, and will render a person the admiration of posterity; at the same time, that it ruins his affairs, and leads him into dangers and difficulties, with which otherwise he would never have been acquainted".{{sfn|Hume|1751|p=900}}

Other understandings of courage that Hume offered can be derived from Hume's views on morals, reason, sentiment, and virtue from his work ''[[An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals]].''