Washington's Principles: Courage

Описание: #georgewashington #stoicism #courage

George Washington embraced courage as a vital principle guiding his life and leadership, viewing it as encompassing physical bravery, moral fortitude, and mental perseverance. His understanding was shaped by Stoic philosophy and personal experience, particularly the example set by his mother, Mary Washington, who demonstrated resilience through family tragedies.

• Three dimensions of courage: Washington defined courage as physical bravery to face danger, moral courage to uphold principles despite consequences, and mental courage (perseverance) to endure adversity without defeat.

• Influence of Mary Washington: His mother’s strength in overcoming loss and managing family hardships instilled in him a model of courage marked by self-reliance and steadfastness amid challenges.

• Philosophical foundations: Washington resonated with Seneca’s concept of fortitude as patience and moral strength to face life’s hardships, emphasizing genuine courage over ostentatious displays that mask fear.

• Locke and educational influence: Locke’s definition of courage involved calmness under danger and linked courage to virtue, warning against aggression without moral grounding; Washington’s interest in education aligned with these views through George Chapman’s treatise.

• Condemnation of false courage: Both Locke and Chapman, echoing Seneca, condemned cruelty and harshness as breeding false courage, which lacks true virtue and leads to insensitivity.

• Washington’s battlefield bravery: His physical courage was noted by contemporaries and historians, exemplified in early military engagements and notably at the Battle of Monmouth, where he inspired troops facing retreat and confusion.

• Moral and mental courage in leadership: Washington valued fortitude and patience as essential virtues for soldiers and citizens, encouraging perseverance through hardship and exemplifying these qualities in his public and private life.

• Courage in political leadership: Demonstrating moral and mental courage, Washington appointed political rivals Jefferson and Hamilton to his cabinet, managing their conflicts with a commitment to principle and openness to differing views for the good of the country.

REFERENCES:

Chapman, G. (1784). A Treatise on Education, with a sketch of the author's method (3rd ed.). London: T. Cadell. [90-91, 229-230]

Cook, S. A., & Klay, W. E. (2014, Winter). George Washington and Enlightenment Ideas on Educating Future Citizens and Public Servants. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 20(1), 45-55.

Fitzpatrick, J. C. (Ed.). (1944). The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources 1745-1799. Washington D.C.: United States Government Printing Office.

George Washington Bicentennial Commission. (1932). History of the George Washington Bicentennial Celebration (Vol. I). Washington, D.C.: United States. [1:230, 233]

Higginbotham, D. (1985). George Washington and the American Military Tradition. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press. [73-74]

Lengel, E. (2005). General George Washington: A Military Life. New York: Random House. [7, 298-301]

Locke, J. (1768). An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (Vol. II). London: H. Woodfall, A. Millar, J. Barcroft, et. al. [1:84, 117, 163, 172-173, 346-347]

Lossing, B. J. (1886). Mary and Martha, the mother and wife of George Washington. New York: Harper & Brothers. [31-33]

Mount Vernon Ladies' Association. (2020). Ball Family. Retrieved April 24, 2020, from George Washington's Mount Vernon.

Pianalto, M. (2012). Moral Courage and Facing Others. International Journal of Philosophical Studies, 20(2), 165-184.

Seneca, L., & L'Estrange, S. (1702). Seneca's Morals; By Way of Abstract: To which is added A Discourse, Under the Title of An After-Thought. London: W. Bowyer. [193-194, 218, 297, 458-467]

Sparks, J. (1852). The Life of George Washington. Auburn: Derby & Miller. [2:341]

Wilson, E. S. (n.d.). The Battle over the Bank: Hamilton v. Jefferson. Retrieved 01 16, 2023, from The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

Washington to John Augustine Washington, letter, 31 May 1754, in The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources 1745-1799, ed. John C. Fitzpatrick (Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office, 1944), 1:70.

General Order, order, 17 December 1777, in George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, 1741-1799.

General Order, order, 5 September 1780, in George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, 1741-1799.

Washington to Henry Knox, letter, 7 October 1795, in George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, 1741-1799.

Washington to Major General Philip Schuyler, letter, 28 July 1775, in George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, 1741-1799.

George Washington to North Carolina Executive Officials, letter, 15 June 1789, in George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, 1741-1799.