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Cowardice : a brief history / Chris Walsh.

by Walsh, Chris, 1966-

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Princeton University Press, [2014]

Fear -- History.

Cowardice -- History.

Courage -- History.

9780691138633 (hc.)

069113863X (hc.)

292 pages ; 23 cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Coward. It's a grave insult, likely to provoke anger, shame, even violence. What exactly is cowardice? When terrorists are called cowards, does it mean the same as when the term is applied to soldiers? And what, if anything, does cowardice have to do with the rest of us? Bringing together sources from court-martial cases to literary and film classics such as Dante's Inferno, The Red Badge of Courage, and The Thin Red Line, Cowardice recounts the great harm that both cowards and the fear of seeming cowardly have done. The author shows that this power has faded, most dramatically on the battlefield. Misconduct that earlier might have been punished as cowardice has more recently often been treated medically, as an adverse reaction to trauma, and Walsh explores a parallel therapeutic shift that reaches beyond war, into the realms of politics, crime, philosophy, religion, and love. Yet, the therapeutic has not altogether triumphed--contempt for cowardice endures, and the author argues that such contempt can be a good thing. Understanding cowardice may be morally useful, for it requires us to think critically about our duties and our fears, and it helps us to act ethically when fear and duty conflict. Illustrated and filled with fascinating stories and insights, Cowardice is an analysis of a neglected but profound and pervasive feature of human experience"--Provided by publisher.

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