When Conscience Calls: Moral Courage in Times of Confusion and Despair

An argument for why we should care about moral courage from "the world's authority on who, why, and how people do good things in the face of evil" (James N. Druckman, author of Partisan Hostility and American Democracy). War, totalitarianism, pandemics, and political repression are among the many challenges and crises that force us to consider what humane people can do when the world falls apart. When tolerance disappears, truth becomes rare, and civilized discourse is a distant ideal, why do certain individuals find the courage to speak out when most do not? When Conscience Calls offers powerful portraits of ordinary people performing extraordinary acts—be it confronting presidents and racist mobs or simply caring for and protecting the vulnerable. Uniting these portraits is the idea that moral courage stems not from choice but from one's identity. Ultimately, Kristen Renwick Monroe argues, bravery derives from who we are, our core values, and our capacity to believe we must change the world. When Conscience Calls is a rich examination of why some citizens embrace anger, bitterness, and fearmongering while others seek common ground, fight against dogma, and stand up to hate. "A stunning tour de force on the concept of moral courage. Its brilliance lies in how Monroe moves to the heart of what psychodynamic psychology brings to the understanding of moral courage and its relation to ordinary human beings. Beautifully written and clear, When Conscience Calls reflects deep thought, careful writing, and great intelligence." —James Glass, University of Maryland

© 2023 The University of Chicago Press (E-bog): 9780226829081

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E-bog: 6. oktober 2023