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E thics [Greek andreia , related to aner , an adult man; hence manliness or bravery, corresponding to Latin virtus ] One of the prominent virtues in ancient Greece. In the ancient world, a good man had to be courageous or brave in battle and in the face of other dangers. Socrates argued that courage as a virtue must involve knowledge of what is and what is not truly to be feared. Moreover, courage is not only fortitude in the face of physical danger, but also involves enduring in one's convictions against all adversity and temptation. Courage is the subject of Plato 's dialogue Laches and is further discussed in the Republic . It corresponds to the spirited element in the tripartite of the soul, and is the virtue of the auxiliaries. Aristotle considered courage to be a mean between fear and confidence. “Hence whoever stands firm against the right things and fears the right things, for the right end, in the right way, at the right time, and is correspondingly confident, is a courageous person.” Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics ... log in or subscribe to read full text