Åbo Akademi University, Department of Caring Science
ALANKO GABRIELLA: The Concept of Courage - A Concept
Analysis from the Point of View of Caring Science
Master's thesis, 72 pages
Supervisors: Assistant professor Unni Å. Lindström
LNSc Lisbet Lindholm
May 1998
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Key words: courage, caring science, concept analysis
The perspectives of the study are humanism and caring science, the design is
descriptive and explorative basic research with a hermeneutic tendency. The
purpose is to detect, analyse, interpret, and describe the concept of courage
through an ontological concept analysis, and an attempt is made to interpret the
concept of courage hermeneutically based on SAOB (Swedish Academy
Vocabulary) volumes and two publications by the existentialists P. Tillich
(1962) and R. May (1988). The study is restricted to ontological concept
analysis in order to determine the concept (Eriksson, 1997). The ontological
starting points are courage and the image of man in caring science, courage and
caring, and courage and compassion. The conclusions of the study attempt to
bring something new to the core of the caring science.
Courage is the basis for man´s being despite the anxiety about non-being.
Courage gives strength for self-affirmation through confidence and faith in God
or in an abstract spirit, the spiritual self-affirmation. Self-affirmation is a virtue,
self is a virtue, to have courage, to be courage, and to become courage.
Through self-affirmation, man has the ability to love himself and his
neighbours. Freedom is linked with spiritual self-affirmation; man is
responsible for his own life and the lives of his neighbours.
Courage is one ingredient in man´s spiritual, mental, physical (sensitivity), and
ethic bearing and, therefore, the care-giver with courage has the strength to
become involved and be totally present in the caring community and ease the
suffering of the patient. Courage in caring means the ability to become
involved, act consciously, bear the responsibility, make choices, and make
decisions both concerning the care-giver and the patient.
By being sensitive to his/her own personality, the care-giver with courage can
feel involvement and compassion with the patient. In caring and compassion
the courageous care-giver inspires confidence as well as gives hope and
meaningfulness for the patient. Respect for the patient forms and integral part
of compassion, meaning and the care-giver with courage has a positive attitude
towards the patient, respects, recognizes and loves him/her. In caring, it is the
calling of the courageous care-giver to suffer together with the patient in
his/her suffering.