1. Courage
Lacey Nauman
March 14, 2014
Cornel West’s ”Courage” describes the importance of thinking critically in order to
develop individual thoughts. He writes, ”Thinking for oneself is based on a particular kind
of courage in which you hold truth, wisdom, and honesty in high esteem.” The article
expresses how too often we go with whatever we have grown up being taught to believe;
accepting these beliefs and mistaking them as our own creations of individual thoughts.
Sadly, we rarely look at all of the facts. Rarely do we set aside our beliefs and question where
they stem from. Individual stances on animal conservation and rights are no different than
stances on racism or sexism described in the article. For this reason, West makes it easy to
apply his ideas of courage to the importance of preserving nature’s wildlife. Obtaining a
true, individual stance on animal conservation requires the courage to think critically; the
courage to disregard the popular opinions of society and seek out a self-informed opinion of
your own. The courage to find this truth is within all of us and will create a more informed
and equipped ability to fight animal oppression wherever it may exist.
1