In War And Peace: The Virtue Of Courage In The Writings Of Albert The Great And Thomas Aquinas

Abstract

This chapter takes a close look at efforts by Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas, often regarded as founders of Christian Aristotelianism, to solve the problems in their reading of Aristotle and in their own conceptions of courage. It draws mainly on their commentaries on the Nicomachean Ethics , but also considers other writings in which they deal with the topic, such as the second treatise ( De fortitudine ) of Albert?s De bono , Aquinas?s Summa theologiae II.II.123?139, his De virtutibus cardinalibus , and other theological works. The chapter examines how Albert and Thomas portray courage as a cardinal virtue and the different parts of courage as a cardinal virtue. It deals with the extension of the Aristotelian notion of courage to the religious sphere. In conclusion, the chapter considers how far the theological background of Albert and Aquinas shaped their understanding of Aristotle?s conception of courage in the Nicomachean Ethics . Keywords: Albert The Great; Aristotelian courage; cardinal virtue; De bono ; Nicomachean Ethics ; Summa theologiae ; Thomas Aquinas