Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Courage is one of our most prized and celebrated virtues. But once you really start exploring it, the nature of courage is surprisingly hard to pin down.
Here to help us explore the fascinating complications of courage is William Ian Miller, a historian, professor of law, and the author of The Mystery of Courage (amzn.to/4t79Y3r) . Today on the show, Bill explains how centuries of philosophers, soldiers, and storytellers have approached courage and the hard-to-answer questions its manifestations raise. We discuss why courage has long been ranked among the highest virtues, the relationship between fear and courage, the fuzzy line between courage and cowardice, the association of courage and manhood, whether or not courage is domain specific, the difference between offensive and defensive courage, whether martyrs are courageous, whether deeds with evil ends are courageous, how fear, shame, and honor shape brave action, and more.
Resources Related to the Podcast
• The Road to Richmond: The Civil War Memoirs of Maj. Abner R. Small (amzn.to/4uJiM17)
• If I Die in a Combat Zone: Box Me Up and Ship Me Home by Tim O'Brien (amzn.to/4uPwEXG)
• Good-Bye to All That by Robert Graves (amzn.to/3Pti8op)
• The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant (amzn.to/4lVPlVv)
• AoM Article: Developing Manly Courage (artofmanliness.com/character/advice/developing-manly-courage/)
• AoM Article: 9 Ways to Become More Courageous (artofmanliness.com/character/behavior/9-ways-to-become-more-courageous/)
• AoM Article: Courage Vs. Boldness — How to Live With Spartan Bravery (artofmanliness.com/character/manly-lessons/courage-vs-boldness-how-to-live-with-spartan-bravery/)
• AoM Podcast #380: How to Increase Your Courage and Bravery (artofmanliness.com/character/behavior/how-to-be-braver/)
• AoM Article: The 54 Best Quotes on Courage (artofmanliness.com/character/knowledge-of-men/best-quotes-on-courage/)
• AoM Article: The Cardinal Virtues — Courage (artofmanliness.com/character/manly-lessons/manvotional-the-cardinal-virtues-courage/)
• AoM Podcast #763: The Perils and Powers of Cowardice (artofmanliness.com/character/behavior/podcast-763-the-perils-and-powers-of-cowardice/)
• AoM series on honor (artofmanliness.com/featured/manly-honor-part-i-what-is-honor/)
Connect With William Ian Miller
• Bill's faculty page (https://michigan.law.umich.edu/faculty-and-scholarship/our-faculty/william-ian-miller)
Thanks to This Week’s Podcast Sponsor
Incogni. (incogni.com/manliness) Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code MANLINESS at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: incogni.com/manliness
Courage is one of our most prized and celebrated virtues. But once you really start exploring it, the nature of courage is surprisingly hard to pin down.
Here to help us explore the fascinating complications of courage is William Ian Miller, a historian, professor of law, and the author of The Mystery of Courage (amzn.to/4t79Y3r) . Today on the show, Bill explains how centuries of philosophers, soldiers, and storytellers have approached courage and the hard-to-answer questions its manifestations raise. We discuss why courage has long been ranked among the highest virtues, the relationship between fear and courage, the fuzzy line between courage and cowardice, the association of courage and manhood, whether or not courage is domain specific, the difference between offensive and defensive courage, whether martyrs are courageous, whether deeds with evil ends are courageous, how fear, shame, and honor shape brave action, and more.
Resources Related to the Podcast
• The Road to Richmond: The Civil War Memoirs of Maj. Abner R. Small (amzn.to/4uJiM17)
• If I Die in a Combat Zone: Box Me Up and Ship Me Home by Tim O'Brien (amzn.to/4uPwEXG)
• Good-Bye to All That by Robert Graves (amzn.to/3Pti8op)
• The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant (amzn.to/4lVPlVv)
• AoM Article: Developing Manly Courage (artofmanliness.com/character/advice/developing-manly-courage/)
• AoM Article: 9 Ways to Become More Courageous (artofmanliness.com/character/behavior/9-ways-to-become-more-courageous/)
• AoM Article: Courage Vs. Boldness — How to Live With Spartan Bravery (artofmanliness.com/character/manly-lessons/courage-vs-boldness-how-to-live-with-spartan-bravery/)
• AoM Podcast #380: How to Increase Your Courage and Bravery (artofmanliness.com/character/behavior/how-to-be-braver/)
• AoM Article: The 54 Best Quotes on Courage (artofmanliness.com/character/knowledge-of-men/best-quotes-on-courage/)
• AoM Article: The Cardinal Virtues — Courage (artofmanliness.com/character/manly-lessons/manvotional-the-cardinal-virtues-courage/)
• AoM Podcast #763: The Perils and Powers of Cowardice (artofmanliness.com/character/behavior/podcast-763-the-perils-and-powers-of-cowardice/)
• AoM series on honor (artofmanliness.com/featured/manly-honor-part-i-what-is-honor/)
Connect With William Ian Miller
• Bill's faculty page (https://michigan.law.umich.edu/faculty-and-scholarship/our-faculty/william-ian-miller)
Thanks to This Week’s Podcast Sponsor
Incogni. (incogni.com/manliness) Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code MANLINESS at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: incogni.com/manliness
