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The Resource Cowardice : a brief history, Chris Walsh

Cowardice : a brief history, Chris Walsh

Creator
Summary
"Coward. It's a grave insult, likely to provoke anger, shame, even violence. But 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, and traces the idea of cowardice's power to its evolutionary roots. But Chris Walsh also 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, as Walsh indicates, the therapeutic has not altogether triumphed--contempt for cowardice endures, and he argues that such contempt can be a good thing. Courage attracts much more of our attention, but rigorously understanding cowardice may be more 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.Richly illustrated and filled with fascinating stories and insights, Cowardice is the first sustained analysis of a neglected but profound and pervasive feature of human experience. "--
Language
eng
Work
Instance
Label
Cowardice : a brief history
Title
Cowardice
Title remainder
a brief history
Statement of responsibility
Chris Walsh
Creator
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
"Coward. It's a grave insult, likely to provoke anger, shame, even violence. But 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, and traces the idea of cowardice's power to its evolutionary roots. But Chris Walsh also 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, as Walsh indicates, the therapeutic has not altogether triumphed--contempt for cowardice endures, and he argues that such contempt can be a good thing. Courage attracts much more of our attention, but rigorously understanding cowardice may be more 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.Richly illustrated and filled with fascinating stories and insights, Cowardice is the first sustained analysis of a neglected but profound and pervasive feature of human experience. "--
Assigning source
Provided by publisher
Cataloging source
DLC
http://library.link/vocab/creatorDate
1966-
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Walsh, Chris
Index
index present
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Fear
  • Cowardice
  • Courage
  • Emotions
  • Courage
  • Cowardice
  • Emotions
  • Fear
Label
Cowardice : a brief history, Chris Walsh
Instantiates
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages [249]-276) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Control code
878953215
Dimensions
23 cm
Extent
292 pages
Isbn
9780691138633
Lccn
2014005479
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
some black and white illustrations
System control number
(OCoLC)878953215
Label
Cowardice : a brief history, Chris Walsh
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages [249]-276) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Control code
878953215
Dimensions
23 cm
Extent
292 pages
Isbn
9780691138633
Lccn
2014005479
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
some black and white illustrations
System control number
(OCoLC)878953215

Subject

Genre

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