| In an effort to define the word "integrity", | | | | 10. The Stanford University Encyclopedia of |
| I came up with some explanations, after | | | | Philosophy states the following: |
| consulting some dictionaries and | | | | |
| encyclopaedias. | | | | "Integrity is one of the most important and |
| | | | oft-cited of virtue terms. It is also perhaps |
| Integrity is made up of several words, | | | | the most puzzling. For example, while it is |
| meanings and synonyms. It consists of a lot | | | | sometimes used virtually synonymously with |
| of what can be described as ethical and moral | | | | 'moral,' we also at times distinguish acting |
| values or civilised values. | | | | morally from acting with integrity. Persons |
| | | | of integrity may in fact act immorally-though |
| 1. Soundness: | | | | they would usually not know they are acting |
| | | | immorally. Thus one may acknowledge a person |
| This refers to how healthy an opinion, | | | | to have integrity even though that person may |
| argument, reasoning or a research finding is, | | | | hold importantly mistaken moral views. |
| implying how free it is from flaw, defect or | | | | |
| decay. | | | | When used as a virtue term, 'integrity' |
| | | | refers to a quality of a person's character; |
| Also, how free is it from error, fallacy, or | | | | however, there are other uses of the term. |
| misapprehension; exhibiting or based on | | | | One may speak of the integrity of a |
| thorough knowledge and experience; legally | | | | wilderness region or an ecosystem, a |
| valid; logically valid and having true | | | | computerized database, a defense system, a |
| premises; agreeing with accepted views. | | | | work of art, and so on. When it is applied to |
| | | | objects, integrity refers to the wholeness, |
| It also means solid, firm, stable and | | | | intactness or purity of a thing-meanings that |
| thorough; showing good sense or judgment | | | | are sometimes carried over when it is applied |
| based on valid information. | | | | to people. A wilderness region has integrity |
| | | | when it has not been corrupted by development |
| 2. Completeness: | | | | or by the side-effects of development, when |
| | | | it remains intact as wilderness. A database |
| It means having all necessary parts, | | | | maintains its integrity as long as it remains |
| elements, or steps; highly proficient; | | | | uncorrupted by error; a defense system as |
| totally, absolutely, thoroughly and fully | | | | long as it is not breached. A musical work |
| carried out; including all possible parts. | | | | might be said to have integrity when its |
| | | | musical structure has a certain completeness |
| 3. Sincerity: | | | | that is not intruded upon by uncoordinated, |
| | | | unrelated musical ideas; that is, when it |
| It means fairness and straightforwardness of | | | | possesses a kind of musical wholeness, |
| conduct; adherence to the facts. | | | | intactness and purity. |
| | | | |
| 4. Honesty: | | | | Integrity is also attributed to various parts |
| | | | or aspects of a person's life. We speak of |
| It implies a refusal to lie, steal, or | | | | attributes such as professional, intellectual |
| deceive in any way. | | | | and artistic integrity. However, the most |
| | | | philosophically important sense of the term |
| 5. Honor: | | | | 'integrity' relates to general character. |
| | | | Philosophers have been particularly concerned |
| It suggests an active or anxious regard for | | | | to understand what it is for a person to |
| the standards of one's profession, calling, | | | | exhibit integrity throughout life. Acting |
| or position. | | | | with integrity on some particularly important |
| | | | occasion will, philosophically speaking, |
| 6. Probity: | | | | always be explained in terms of broader |
| | | | features of a person's character and life. |
| It implies tried and proven honesty or | | | | |
| truthfulness. | | | | What is it to be a person of integrity? |
| | | | Ordinary discourse about integrity involves |
| 7. Incorruptibility: | | | | two fundamental intuitions: first, that |
| | | | integrity is primarily a formal relation one |
| It implies trustworthiness and truthfulness | | | | has to oneself, or between parts or aspects |
| to a degree that one is incapable of being | | | | of one's self; and second, that integrity is |
| false to a trust, responsibility or pledge. | | | | connected in an important way to acting |
| | | | morally, in other words, there are some |
| It also finally means being incapable of | | | | substantive or normative constraints on what |
| corruption; not subject to decay or | | | | it is to act with integrity. How these two |
| dissolution; incapable of being bribed or | | | | intuitions can be incorporated into a |
| morally corrupted. | | | | consistent theory of integrity is not |
| | | | obvious, and most accounts of integrity tend |
| 8. Conclusion: | | | | to focus on one of these intuitions to the |
| | | | detriment of the other. |
| The question to be asked is where does a | | | | |
| nation stand with regard to these principles | | | | A number of accounts have been advanced, the |
| of integrity; where does an organisation or | | | | most important of them being: (i) integrity |
| political party stand and finally what is my | | | | as the integration of self; (ii) integrity as |
| individual position? This synonymous question | | | | maintenance of identity; (iii) integrity as |
| can also be asked: How civilised are we? | | | | standing for something; (iv) integrity as |
| | | | moral purpose; and (v) integrity as a virtue. |
| 9. Resources: | | | | These accounts are reviewed below. We then |
| | | | examine several issues that have been of |
| Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy | | | | central concern to philosophers exploring the |
| | | | concept of integrity: the relations between |
| Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia | | | | types of integrity, integrity and moral |
| | | | theory, and integrity and social and |
| Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary | | | | political conditions. |
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