Abstract/Summary

The virtue of courage has had varying meanings and definitions across different cultures and peoples. For instance, the well-known Aristotelian Nicomachean Ethics tradition defines courage as a virtue expressed as the moderation between cowardice and rashness. In the Nordic tradition, courage is embodied in the nine noble virtues when an individual dares to face their fear and is willing to handle the fear no matter how hard. How these expressions of courage are similar or different from other traditions, especially various Afro-ethnic traditions remains relatively underexplored. This chapter therefore aims to provide an ethico-sociological analysis and interpretation of the virtue of courage from the perspective of human personality in the Yorùbá worldview. The Yorùbás are a large African ethnic group that inhabit western Africa, mainly the countries of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. Their philosophy and worldview are largely rooted in their unique brand of humanism typified by the concept of ‘Ọmọlúàbí’, that is, a good person provides a basis for which other key virtues such as courage known as ‘Akinkanju’ are understood and expressed. A critical discourse of how the Yorùbás’ conceptualization of courage and broader philosophical worldview differs from the Western tradition, especially the Aristotelian Greek tradition will ensue from which key insights and conclusions will be drawn.