Courage Is Knowing What Not To

The definition of courage as knowledge of what to fear and what not to fear appears in the Protagoras (360b–d) and is also explored in the Laches, which is devoted entirely to defining courage. Plato, through Socrates, argues that genuine courage is not mere boldness or the suppression of fear but the correct assessment of danger — knowing which fears are rational and which are not. This makes courage a cognitive virtue, continuous with wisdom, rather than a raw disposition. Aristotle later modified the view, arguing that courage requires emotional as well as rational training.