7/31/2023 0 Comments Synonym for integrity![]() ![]() The value of honesty to science is not essentially different from its value to society as a whole, but the progress and application of science do depend fundamentally on the truthful reporting of research. Perhaps because of that, in recent years principled stands taken by political leaders seldom seem to be positions that could harm their careers. In today’s political environment of bitter attack ads and communications at the speed of the Internet, such courageous positions can have immediate negative consequences. Although he did not support any of the Nazi actions, he concluded that the injustices in the trials were too great to ignore. Robert Taft, for example, was a leading figure in the Republican Party when he gave a speech attacking the Nuremberg Trials of Nazi war criminals. ![]() Although these men held positions that were often right, they suffered politically for doing so. Among the courageous figures featured in the book are John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Sam Houston and Robert Taft. ![]() In his 1955 book Profiles in Courage, then-Senator John Kennedy emphasized that individuals can rise above their desire for personal advantage and advocate positions that they know are right-even when doing so may damage their careers. This is not to say that it is impossible to elevate ethical commitments above the immediate obstacles. However, as the editors of The New York Times pointed out, “He was shamefully silent on one critical issue: China’s poor human rights record and its unjustified imprisonment of Liu Xiaobo, the country’s leading democracy activist and … winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.” Ban has many responsibilities, but speaking truth to power is one of them, and in Beijing he was unable to deliver. He discussed climate change, tensions on the Korean peninsula and peacekeeping. In early November 2010, Ban met with President Hu Jintao of China in Beijing. To address the entire truth without exception can demand extraordinary courage, as United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has demonstrated. Habits form, and harm is done first to one’s self and then to others.ĭishonesty may also take the form of omission, as opposed to overt deception. And, even if undiscovered, missteps set up the classic “slippery slope” on which small transgressions lead to larger ones. ![]() They can thrive only on a foundation of respect for veracity.” Thus small transgressions, if discovered, can easily destroy one’s credibility on a larger scale. Ethicist Sissela Bok, however, warns that “trust and integrity are precious resources, easily squandered, hard to regain. If such students don’t understand who is harmed, it is hard to convince them that the detriments of deceit outweigh the benefits. This reasoning seems to be a common justification among students who cheat on exams, papers and even theses. One might ask, for example, what long-term damage could come from seemingly insignificant transgressions. As Tina Gunsalus, director of the National Center for Professional and Research Ethics, observes: “Almost everybody wakes up every day and wants to do the right thing.” Later in the day, the goal may be thwarted the potential pitfalls are many. The commitment required to realize these simple terms is more clearly implied in a second definition, drawn from Funk & Wagnalls Standard Handbook of Synonyms, Antonyms and Prepositions: “One who is honest in the highest and fullest sense is scrupulously careful to adhere to all known truth and right even in thought.”įew would contest the desirability of honesty, and good intentions are nearly universal. The quality or fact of being honest uprightness and fairness. According to the Random House description, honesty is: 1. A dictionary definition of honesty belies the rigor and complexity of its practice. ![]()
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