Paul Bubash
10-18-07
The Courageous Harry Potter
I. Magic and Virtue
A. Magic is merely incidental to wizards’ philosophy
1. Wizards still have loads of problems even with magic to help them
2. Solve problems by intelligence, planning, courage, resourcefulness, etc.
3. Magic is just a problem-solving tool
B. Books aim to display importance of classic virtues in life
II. Virtues at Hogwarts
A. Original founders of four houses value different virtues; their respective halls celebrate and encourage their favorite virtue
B. Gryffindor founded to recognize and support courage
1. Yet, Harry goes through as much fear as one possibly could at his age
III. Feelings of Fear
A. Main characters other than Harry show emotions from the outside, behavior and body displays
1. “Ron opened his mouth in horror.” (CS, p 331)
B. Harry shows emotion from the inside
1. Mid-section- “His stomach lurched” (CS, p 138)
2. Heart- “Harry’s heart gave a horrible jolt” (SS, p115)
3. Sensation of numbness- “Harry’s whole body went numb” (CS, p 80)
4. Body and mind- “Harry’s brain seemed to have jammed” (CS, p 314)
C. Harry recognizes and feels danger, but is always able to embody the virtue of courage to the point of standing up to the greatest adversaries.
IV. Harry’s Recipe for Courage
A. Definition of Courage
1.Doing what is right, not easy; what is morally required, not physically safe; what is best overall, not best for you
2. Midpoint between extreme of too little (cowardice) and too much (rashness) –Aristotle
3. Fundamental Virtue- without courage no other virtue could be shown in time perceived personal risk
B. Five Strategies to Summoning Courage
1. Prepare Yourself for the Challenge (Third Triwizard Event)
a. Preparation can inspire courage and confidence
b. Courage is the virtue; confidence is the attitude of positive expectation that a desired outcome will result from actions
c. Courageous action requires some level of confidence
d. Preparation builds self-confidence, therefore enhances rational courage
2. Surround Yourself with Support (Harry’s Friends)
a. Friends who believe in us strengthen us in courage
b. Best way to gain support is to support others
c. Everything Harry accomplishes is rooted in the collaborate efforts of many
d. People inspire courage and confidence needed to convince ourselves that we are up to the task
3. Engage in Positive Self-Talk
a. Builds up own inner courage
b. Cannot replace talent and preparation, but can alter our psychology to unlock our true potential
c. “I’m not going to be murdered” (CS p304)
4. Focus on what’s at Stake (Harry goes into the chamber to save Ginny)
a. More important the situation, the braver the response tends to be
b. Great values cast out fear and lead to immediate action
c. Courage is only manifested sometimes when the courageous action is already underway
5. Take Appropriate Action (Harry talks to snake at dueling club)
a. Sometimes our misgivings can be dispelled only when we take action
b. A positive action is important, but getting into actions is most important
V. Harry’s Big Step of Faith
A. Focusing on what’s at stake and taking action before having any realistic assurance
B. In the third Triwizard Event
1. Harry steps into a mist that literally turns the world upside-down in order to move toward a girl who screamed
2. Once upside-down, disoriented and fearful of taking further action, Harry continues to walk
C. Kierkegaard’s “Leap of Faith”
1.When great values are at stake, you have to take action regardless of how you feel
2. When momentous values are at stake, thinking and reasoning about what to do can only take you so far
3. There needs to be an inner leap (Harry’s step) to take action
D. Harry shows how a young man vulnerable to the fears all of us can ever experience can overcome emotions and nobly press on to do what is +
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