Moral courage

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The city of Laatzen awards one or more prizes for moral courage during its annual New Year's reception. The sculpture eye by the sculptor Wolfgang Mehl , created in 2006 after an invitation to tender by the Laatzen art group, served as the model for the award to be awarded . The eye symbolizes the demand "Don't look the other way ..."

In the civil courage , literally Bürgermut (from civil ( Latin civilis , the first civil - not military, the second decent, acceptable) and courage ( French "courage")), is a "Alltagsmut" as he almost daily in different forms and situations is required of every person. Civil courage includes the willingness and ability to put one's own safety and comfort aside in an unpleasant or threatening situation in order to stand up for a cause that is considered just and to take action accordingly.

term

The term 'civil courage', which is important in everyday life in every society, contrasts with the 'military courage of the soldier' ​​in combat situations of war. In this use and this comparison, the German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck used it in 1864 when he accused a relative of not having supported him in a debate in the Prussian Landtag. He is quoted as saying:

"" Courage on the battlefield is common to us, but you will not infrequently find that very respectable people lack moral courage. "

- Robert von Keudell , 1901 : Prince and Princess Bismarck. Memories from the years 1846 to 1872, pp. 7/8

In France, the term counted among the “civic virtues” established itself since 1835 (Le Gall 1898) as “courage civil” meaning “ courage of the individual to judge for oneself” or “courage civique” in the sense of “civic courage”.

In contrast to military courage in war situations, moral courage characterizes a person who is willing to stand up for the implementation of justice and social norms in their everyday bourgeois environment, even if this could be unpleasant or even problematic for their own integrity. It is a socio-ethical behavior based on value convictions that is most impressively visible when the integrity of another person, human dignity or human rights are threatened and appropriate interference by a courageous fellow human being is necessary.

In the media landscape and in political speeches, the term moral courage sometimes runs the risk of unjustified glorification or heroization . However, moral courage can initially only be understood as a neutral term and as a formal virtue. It has an action-motivating effect. The activation of the personal courage potential is, however, usually decided on the basis of the individual value horizon in real life. The term finds its users for both constructive and destructive actions. Moral courage can express itself in helpfulness and care, but also in know-it-all and craving for recognition, as a defense of legitimate rights and protection from injustice and danger, but also as disregard for rules and disrespect. The respective orientation is determined by the individual motivation and the ethical basis of the individual.

Civil Kurasch , memorial for Resche Hennerich in Koblenz

According to the political scientist Gerd Meyer from the Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen , “civil courage” (or, synonymously, social courage) is a certain type of socially responsible behavior, not a characteristic of a person. Civil courage occurs in situations in which central values and social norms (e.g. human dignity, human rights, justice, peaceful conflict resolution among citizens) or the physical or psychological integrity of a person are violated. Those who act with civil courage are willing to stand up for the preservation of humane and moral values, for integrity and the legitimate, collective, primarily non-material interests above all others , despite the threat of harm to themselves, as an individual - less often as a member of a group Persons, but also of the actor himself.

Civil courage is often equated with help. Help is usually associated with moral courage, but not necessarily the other way around. Four central characteristics distinguish civil courage from help, altruism or solidarity , from courage or bravery :

  1. There is a conflict between those who violate the above values ​​and norms and those who work to protect them.
  2. There are often undetermined risks, which means that the success of civilly courageous action is usually uncertain, and the agent is willing to accept disadvantages.
  3. Civil courage is public, d. H. there are usually more than two people present.
  4. There is a real or subjectively perceived power imbalance to the detriment of those who want to act boldly, perhaps because he was in a minority - is / majority situation in groups or in a ratio of over / under order or a dependency (which are often associated with pressure to conform ).

Gerd Meyer distinguishes three types of acting with moral courage:

  1. Intervening for the benefit of others, mostly in unforeseen situations where you have to decide quickly what to do.
  2. Standing up - usually without any acute pressure to act - for general values, for the law or the legitimate interests of others, especially in organized contexts and institutions , e.g. B. at school or at work.
  3. Defending oneself, e.g. B. against physical assault, bullying or injustice ; Stand by yourself and your convictions, withstand, assert yourself; to resist, to say no, to refuse to obey “for good reasons”. This requires courage, as those who show moral courage may face sanctions from authorities, representatives of the ruling opinion or their social environment (e.g. a group majority). Also deemed zivilcouragiert whistleblower , illegal acts or social-ethical misconduct to the detriment of the general public within institutions, particularly companies and administrations to uncover.

Investigations and analyzes

The phenomenon was scientifically examined from the perspectives of various disciplines - in German-speaking countries and from a social-psychological perspective, etc. a. by the working group around Dieter Frey (Munich), by Peter Fischer and Tobias Greitemeyer as well as by Veronika Brandstätter (Zurich) and Kai J. Jonas (Amsterdam), from a political-psychological perspective, most recently interdisciplinary on the subject of courage and moral courage in Gerd's non-violent everyday life Meyer (Tübingen). In addition, Peter Grottian , Bernd Kollek (violence in public transport ), Gunnar Heinsohn (on the bystander effect from a sociological perspective) and Pearl and Samuel Oliner and David Rosenhan (on non-Jewish rescuers ) examined it in other departments .

Individual behavior can be considered a special case of political moral courage if it represents a counter-model to maintaining power through party discipline , as John F. Kennedy demonstrated in his profile in Courage (1956) using the example of the political behavior of eight senators.

meaning

Developing moral courage as ethical awareness and the ability to act is of great importance for the individual and his quality of life as well as for the social structure in which he moves. It can prove itself in a single action in dealing with a current crisis situation in which an overview, selflessness and steadfastness are required. In order to become character-building, however, it must mature into a permanent attitude of personality from which courageous action can be called up again and again if necessary. This requires a long learning process, a risk education beginning as early as possible and numerous tests of courage in different areas in which a proven, well-founded self-confidence can develop, which carries moral courage and is useful and important for the individual as well as for society:

"Only when courage, moral courage and willingness to take risks become a kind of practiced philosophy of life, if they develop into virtues of character, can Wagen develop a significant value-creating effect and contribute to a significant increase in the quality of life."

- Siegbert A. Warwitz : Search for meaning in risk. Life in growing rings. Explanatory models for cross-border behavior. Cutter. Baltmannsweiler 2016, pp. 23–24.

The strength of character associated with the ability to show moral courage is shown in practice in the fact that the person with courage must be prepared to suffer personal disadvantages and to have to make painful sacrifices, if necessary, for the mission. The courageous person represents the enforcement of social values ​​and norms that are important to him for his own life, for the good of another or for the general public. This can include, for example, courageously opposing a popular but not generally divided opinion, standing up for the rights of a weaker person or defending ethical claims. Also the rebellion against arbitrary state decisions , which can have sensitive consequences for the individual, the willingness to claim one's legitimate rights in the family or professional environment, the strength to defend oneself against unreasonable demands and to offer resistance for a cause that is perceived as just Actively taking action is commonly understood under the term.

Prices for moral courage (selection)

Others

"Looked away. ignored. pinched ", a call for moral courage by the ProPK (cf. Drei Affen )

The police crime prevention of the federal states and the federal government (ProPK) has launched “A police initiative for more moral courage”. She mentions "six rules for emergencies":

  1. Be careful: Help, but don't put yourself in danger
  2. Call the police: Call the police at 110
  3. Get help: Ask others to help
  4. Recognize details: Memorize the perpetrator characteristics
  5. Help: Take care of victims
  6. Open your mouth: Testify as a witness

Other reasons for moral courage can be:

See also

literature

  • Andreas H. Apelt, Heide Gebhardt, Eckard Jesse (eds.): Civil courage yesterday and today: compulsory or freestyle? Mitteldeutscher Verlag, Halle (Saale) 2014, ISBN 978-3-95462-319-8
  • Gerd-Bodo von Carlsburg, Karl-Heinz Dammer, Helmut Wehr (eds.): “If I hadn't looked the other way!” - civil courage then and now. Brigg Pedagogy, Augsburg 2011, ISBN 978-3-87101-708-7
  • Johannes Czwalina: Anyone who is brave knows fear. Civil courage instead of opportunism . Brendow, Moers 2008, ISBN 978-3-86506-212-3 .
  • Dieter Deiseroth : Civil courage at work - legal framework. In: Hermann Reichold, Albert Löhr, Gerhard Blickle (eds.): Wirtschaftsbürger oder Marktopfer? Hampp, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-87988-541-9 .
  • Stefan Frohloff: Show your face! Manual for moral courage. Campus Verlag, Frankfurt / Main 2001, ISBN 3-593-36807-2
  • Wolfgang Heuer: Courageous action. zu Klampen, Lüneburg 2002, ISBN 3-934920-13-6 .
  • Max Hollweg: It is impossible to remain silent about what I experienced: civil courage in the Third Reich . With a foreword by Detlef Garbe. 3rd edition Mindt, Bielefeld 2000, ISBN 3-00-002694-0 .
  • Kai Jonas, Margarete Boos , Veronika Brandstätter (eds.): Training civil courage: theory and practice . Hogrefe, Göttingen 2006, ISBN 3-8017-1826-3 .
  • Ulrich Kühne (Ed.): Courageous people. Women and men with moral courage . Foreword by Ulrich Wickert. Elisabeth Sandmann Verlag, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-938045-13-2 .
  • Dieter Lünse, Katty Nöllenburg, Jörg Kowalczyk, Florian Wanke: Everyone can do civil courage! A training manual for school and youth work . Publ. An der Ruhr, Mülheim an der Ruhr 2011, ISBN 978-3-8346-0813-0 .
  • Gerd Meyer: Living democracy. Civil courage and courage in everyday life. Research results and practical perspectives . 2nd Edition. Nomos, Baden-Baden 2007, ISBN 3-8329-0444-1 .
  • Gerd Meyer, Ulrich Dovermann, Siegfried Frech, Günther Gugel (eds.): Learning civil courage. Analyzes - Models - Working Aids. 2nd Edition. Federal Center for Civic Education / State Center for Civic Education Baden-Württemberg, 2007, ISBN 3-89331-537-3 .
  • Gerd Meyer: Courage and courage. Basics and social practice. Barbara Budrich Publishing House. Opladen Berlin Toronto 2014 ISBN 978-3-8474-0172-8 (Paperback) 978-3-8474-0423-1 (eBook)
  • Gerald Praschl , Marco Hecht: I said no - civil courage in the GDR . Kai Homilius Verlag , Berlin 2002, ISBN 3-89706-891-5 .
  • Rob Riemen: Nobility of Spirit - A Forgotten Ideal . Siedler, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-88680-948-6 .
  • Siegbert A. Warwitz : From the sense of the car. Why people face dangerous challenges . In: DAV (Ed.): Berg 2006 . Munich-Innsbruck-Bozen 2005. Pages 96–111. ISBN 3-937530-10-X
  • Siegbert A. Warwitz: Risk must want essentials , In: Ders .: Search for meaning in risk. Life in growing rings. Explanatory models for cross-border behavior. 2nd edition, Schneider, Baltmannsweiler 2016, pp. 296–311. ISBN 978-3-8340-1620-1 .
  • Wolfram Wette : moral courage under extreme conditions. Outraged, helpers and rescuers in the Wehrmacht . Freiburg newsletter 1/2004.
  • Eva-Maria Zehrer (Red.): A completely normal day - thoughts about moral courage . Saxon State Center for Political Education, Dresden 2007. ( PDF )

Web links

Wiktionary: civil courage  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations
Wikiquote: Civil Courage  - Quotes

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ulrich Kühne (Ed.): Courageous people. Women and men with moral courage . Elisabeth Sandmann Verlag, Munich 2006.
  2. ↑ Gerd Meyer: Lebendige Demokratie. Civil courage and courage in everyday life. Research results and practical perspectives . 2nd Edition. Baden-Baden 2007.
  3. ↑ Rob Riemen: Nobility of Spirit - A Forgotten Ideal . Siedler, Munich 2008.
  4. ^ Siegbert A. Warwitz: From the sense of the car. Why people face dangerous challenges . In: DAV (Ed.): Berg 2006 . Munich-Innsbruck-Bozen 2005. Pages 96–111.
  5. ↑ Gerd Meyer et al .: Learning civil courage: Analyzes - Models - Working aids . Federal Agency for Civic Education, Stuttgart 2004. ISBN 3-89331-537-3 .
  6. ↑ Stefan Frohloff: Show your face! Manual for moral courage. Campus Verlag, Frankfurt / Main 2001
  7. ^ Siegbert A. Warwitz: Risk must want essentials , In: Ders .: Search for meaning in the risk. Life in growing rings. Explanatory models for cross-border behavior. 2nd edition, Schneider, Baltmannsweiler 2016, pp. 296–311.
  8. ↑ Honor statute §5 .
  9. ↑ Police crime prevention of the federal states and the federal government: Six rules for more moral courage in everyday life. Retrieved on August 20, 2019 (German).