Review of the Seven Virtues of Samurai Bushido text, part 3: Courage

We continue to explore Bushido's major principles, concepts, and values as articulated in the classic 1899 Japanese text, Bushido: The Soul of Japan, by Inazo Nitobe, and evaluate their applicability in today's modern world. Bushido: The Soul of Japan is one of the first major works on samurai ethics and Japanese culture. It is considered by some to be the first collective statement of what is commonly referred to as the Seven Virtues of Bushido.

Nitobe offers for consideration seven virtues of Bushido that attempt to illustrate the philosophical values of the samurai. However, it should be recognized that there are not, in truth, seven virtues of Bushido. This is only Nitobe's subjective articulation of samurai culture and it is little more than an artificial construct. Other academics like Nitobe or practitioners of Bushido could easily and perhaps in an equally comprehensively fashion offer four, ten, or even one-hundred virtues of Bushido. Furthermore, the seven virtues presented here are concentric. That is, each value overlaps with and is influenced by another. No single virtue of Bushido exists or can exist by itself. Remember, all systems, including Bushido, Aikido, or any other, are ultimately artificial. The holistic nature of any system of values is unlikely to be comprehensively articulated in written language. Some virtues transcend written word. Nonetheless, we will attempt to explore each thoroughly.

Courage or 'Yuu'

Nitobe begins his discussion of Courage by identifying courage as the element responsible for preserving 'giri,' a notion discussed in our previous article, as a legitimate virtue parallel to Rectitude. He says, "Giri might easily have been turned into a nest of cowardice, if Bushido had not a keen and correct sense of Courage."
Before defining the Courage associated with Bushido, Nitobe first summarizes a popular conception of courage as "the spirit of daring and bearing..." but notes that this is a quality of the soul "which appeals most easily to juvenile minds." He continues to say that "rushing into the jaws of death" is a frequently cited example of courage, but that "such rashness of conduct is unjustly applauded."

Clearly, Nitobe would not find value in the so-called "Courage" that Hollywood frequently attempts to illustrate in martial arts and other war-related movies of today. Nitobe then goes on to further distinguish between physical courage and moral courage and he implies that moral courage is far superior. For example, he quotes another figure from Japanese history, "To rush into the thick of battle and to be slain in it is easy enough, and the merest churl is equal to the task." The contemporary then continues with a contrasting remark, "...but it is true courage to live when it is right to live, and to die only when it is right to die." This quote is frequently butchered in Hollywood and in other examples of contemporary society leaving only the later portion relating to death. Rarely, if ever, is courage accurately defined as living when it is right to live. Hollywood is clearly much more interested in emphasizing the death notion of this virtue perhaps for dramatic/cinematic purposes.

Nitobe states that Courage was scarcely deemed virtuous in the values system of Bushido, unless that Courage was exercised in the cause of Righteousness. Again, Righteousness was discussed in the preceding article on Rectitude, but can be quickly defined as taking action in accordance with right reason and without guilt. Nitobe is assisted by both Plato and Confucius in defining Courage, but in short, summarizes Courage as "doing what is right." This, Nitobe would identify as moral courage. A modern day business author, Larry Winget, articulates a similar sentiment. He says that whenever you are faced with a choice between two actions, the right decision is always, and without fail, the harder of the two actions. Deciding to do the harder of those actions means to act with Courage and in a righteous fashion. Very few people today consistently chose to do the harder thing. Therefore, few people exhibit Courage.

Plato defines Courage as "the knowledge of things that a man should fear and that he should not fear." This implies that knowledge is an element of Courage and "the spiritual aspect of courage is evidenced by composure - calm presence of mind." Nitobe says, "a truly brave man is ever serene; he is never taken by surprise; nothing ruffles the equanimity of his spirit. In the heart of battle he remains cool." For example, on the Aikido mat, is one who can repeatedly, calmly and competently take full force break falls without sustaining injury exhibiting Courage? Or, does he/she merely have knowledge of how to take break falls effectively?

So, one must ask, when does one possess a calm presence of mind and tranquility? I would offer for consideration that preparation precedes tranquility, for when we know what to expect, it is far easier to remain calm. Wouldn't you agree? Have you ever seen someone on an airplane for the first time be nervous and upset? Why? It's because they probably aren't prepared for the experience. Courage then, I would content, is a product of knowledge and preparation. When combined, knowledge and preparation create order and certainty. Order and certainty help one demonstrate Courage. This also means that Courage is formulaic and can be acquired. We are not necessarily born courageous.

Courage, one could also argue, may be a relative concept because one only appears courageous in front of others who lack order and certainty due to their of lack of knowledge and preparation. For example, infamous American scientist, Nikola Tesla, must have certainly appeared courageous to the masses as he would "fearlously" walk through giant arcs and bolts of man-made electricity in public demonstrations in New York, Chicago, and Colorado Springs. No doubt, these feats appeared to be "death-defying" in the early 20th century. Tesla certainly must have been perceived as a courageous individual. However, wasn't Tesla's "courage" really a product of his mastery of the force of lightning? This then raises the question, If one behaves calmly and with serenity of mind, and no one is around to witness it, is that man indeed courageous? Does the existence of courage require at least two parties: one exhibiting courage and the other lacking courage?

Either way, courage, as presented by Nitobe, is radically different than the courage commonly presented in Hollywood movies about samurai or war and battle. Of course, there are excellent examples where Hollywood accurately depicts courage. One recent example I might site would be "Flash of Genius" with Greg Kinear.

So, is Courage an antiquated virtue? That would depend on your definition of courage. If you define courage in a manner similar to its representation in Hollywood, then I would say "Yes" courage is, overwhelmingly, an antiquated value. However, if you define courage as moral courage, as Nitobe does, then I again would strongly answer in the negative. No. Courage is not an antiquated virtue of Bushido.

What can we take away from this discussion? How can we practice Bushido and demonstrate Courage in our lives right now and today? We can recognize that:

1. Courage isn't necessarily blindly attacking the enemy. True courage is to live when it is right to live;
2. Courage means doing what is right, which also means doing the hard thing; and
3. Courage is a product of knowledge and preparation, and it produces order and certainty, which allows one to demonstrate a calm presence of mind.


When courage is exhibited in its highest capacity, it becomes akin to Benevolence. This virtue we shall address later.

Read Part One
Read Part Two

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