Kennedy profiles figures such as John Quincy Adams, who defied his party to oppose the gag rule on abolitionist petitions; Daniel Webster, who supported the Compromise of 1850 despite backlash from abolitionists; and Robert A. Taft, who criticized the Nuremberg Trials for what he saw as legal overreach. Each chapter illustrates how these leaders prioritized conscience over political expediency, often at great personal cost.
The book’s publication boosted Kennedy’s national profile, reinforcing his image as a thoughtful and principled leader. While some historians have noted that Kennedy’s team contributed significantly to the research and writing, the work’s core message—that courage in politics is rare and essential—remains influential. Profiles in Courage endures as both a historical study and a call to civic responsibility, resonating with readers interested in leadership and ethical decision-making.
“For, in a democracy, every citizen, regardless of his interest in politics, ‘holds office’ every one of us is in a position of responsibility; and, in the final analysis, the kind of government we get depends upon how we fulfill those responsibilities. We, the people, are the boss, and we will get the kind of political leadership, be it good or bad, that we demand and deserve.”
John F. Kennedy
“A man does what he must—in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures—and that is the basis of all human morality.”
— John F. Kennedy Primary source“Senators, we hear, must be politicians—and politicians must be concerned only with winning votes, not with statesmanship or courage. Mothers may still want their favorite sons to grow up to be President, but according to a famous Gallup poll of some years ago, they do not want them to become politicians in the process.”
— John F. Kennedy Primary source“It is compromise that prevents each set of reformers from crushing the group on the extreme opposite end of the political spectrum.”
— John F. Kennedy Primary source“Some of my colleagues who are criticized today for lack of forthright principles—or who are looked upon with scornful eyes as compromising ‘politicians’—are simply engaged in the fine art of conciliating, balancing and interpreting the forces and factions of public opinion, an art essential to keeping our nation united and enabling our Government to function.”
— John F. Kennedy Primary source“Not all Senators would agree—but few would deny that the desire to be re-elected exercises a strong brake on independent courage.”
— John F. Kennedy Primary source“The true democracy, living and growing and inspiring, puts its faith in the people—faith that the people will not simply elect men who will represent their views ably and faithfully, but also elect men who will exercise their conscientious judgment—faith that the people will not condemn those whose devotion to principle leads them to unpopular courses, but will reward courage, respect honor and ultimately recognize right.”
— John F. Kennedy Primary source“ In whatever arena of life one may meet the challenge of courage, whatever may be the sacrifices he faces if he follow his conscience—the loss of his friends, his fortune, his contentment, even the esteem of his fellow men—each man must decide for himself the course he will follow. The stories of past courage can define that ingredient—they can teach, they can offer hope, they provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this each man must look into his own soul.”
— John F. Kennedy Primary source“Perhaps if the American people more fully comprehended the terrible pressures which discourage acts of political courage, which drive a Senator to abandon or subdue his conscience, then they might be less critical of those who take the easier road—and more appreciative of those still able to follow the path of courage.”
— John F. Kennedy Primary source“All of us in the Congress are made fully aware of the importance of party unity (what sins have been committed in that name!)”
— John F. Kennedy Primary source• Title: Profiles in Courage
• Author: John F. Kennedy
• Type: Book
• Publisher: Harper & Brothers
• Publication time: 1956
• Publication place: New York, US
• Link: https://www.jfklibrary.org/events-and-awards/profile-in-courage-award/about-the-book
Ideas and Opinions
A Moveable Feast (December, 1964)
Ernest Hemingway
Kennedy’s Bay of Pigs News Conference (April 21, 1961)
John F. Kennedy
First Inaugural Address (March 4, 1861)
Abraham Lincoln