We send politicians to Washington to vote in ways that best represent our best interests, not their own and certainly not their political party simply because it is their party. Putting loyalty ahead of acting on the belief that something is the right thing to do is to lack the integrity to act on one’s (moral) convictions. This is why votes are often 100 percent split as to Republicans and Democrats.
Politicians vote with their party even if they disagree about a particular issue. In today’s society it has become more difficult than ever, it seems, for people to act courageously. And, to report the misdeed where and whenever necessary. If you know someone is being bullied in cyber space it takes a person of courage to stand up against the bully - to protect the innocent. Moral courage also occurs in our online activities. Doing what is right is not always easy but it is moral behavior. If you see someone do something wrong – i.e., steal from the employer take credit for someone else’s work falsify data and records, it takes a person of courage to inform higher-ups in the organization about the misdeeds even if it means you will be retaliated against. Workplaces can provide many challenges that test our ability and willingness to act with courage. After all, if you run into a burning building to save the occupants you certainly have done just that. It means, at least sometimes, to put the interests of others ahead of our own self-interest. Moral courage in our personal lives means to stand up and be counted when a wrongdoing occurs.
What does that mean? It means to distinguish right from wrong good from bad and act out of the conviction that morality is the basis of an ethical community/society. But to have moral courage means to do what is right simply because it is the right thing to do even at personal sacrifice.Ĭourage is an ethical value if it is applied in a moral way. After all, courageous people are not afraid to stand up and be counted. In most cases we think of it as a positive way to live. Courage is an important value but not a virtue unless it is moral courage. What is it? Is it bravery? Is it the strength of one’s convictions? Is it the same as integrity? Is it an ethical value that we all should aspire to achieve? Ayn Rand said in her classic book The Fountainhead that “Integrity is the ability to stand by an idea.” That seems about right but it’s missing one important ingredient - the word moral before integrity or simply moral courage.
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