Integrity, the touchstone of maturity

If school principals who should set an example for integrity or the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles and police officers who should arrest offenders and bring them to book take bribes, there is something radically wrong with their mores. Although we follow four major religions of the world - Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam - the number of crimes is on the increase.

Although philosophers down the ages from Thomas Aquinas to Nietzsche, from Machiavelli to Hobbes, from Bentham to Emmanuel Kant have tested a range of moral issues, they have come across a number of situations where a person did not know what is moral and immoral. A person may think that something is moral, even if the rest of society think it immoral. For instance, some people think that killing a cow for consumption is moral while others vehemently oppose such a view.

Morality or immorality of an action will depend on your ethical values. A man brought up among criminals will think that killing, looting, and raping women are quite moral. However, one who has been brought up in a religious background will abhor such practices. So, moral principles have to be taught to the younger generation. Otherwise they will become a bunch of criminals.

Optional subject

A few decades ago, ethics or moral science was an optional subject for the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination. But some Smart Alec had axed it, thinking that children need not be taught the principles of morality. This is clearly one reason for the proliferation of crime in society. Although learning ethics alone will not eliminate crime in society, it has a salutary effect on children during their formative years.

Mel Thompson: When the stakes are very high, integrity (and the morality that it entails) becomes expensive!

In practical terms, the study of ethics can offer two things. It helps you to appreciate the choices that others make. You can also evaluate the justification they give for their choices. What is more, a knowledge of ethics will sharpen your moral awareness. For instance, a child who has been exposed to ethical values will consciously examine his choices before taking action. When he becomes an adult, he will think twice before committing an immoral act.

Although ethics is a branch of philosophy, even ordinary people know something about it unconsciously. For instance, they may not know the meaning of utilitarianism (giving the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people), but they have a vague idea about it. Adults, more than children, know the value of taking responsibility for their actions. A recent news report said a schoolboy tried to photograph a girl’s private parts by using a mobile phone. He probably did not know the gravity of his action. An adult would think twice before doing it. In fact, maturity is all about taking responsibility for your actions.

Touchstone

Unknown to many people, the touchstone of maturity is personal integrity which comes with a heavy price. Most people who commit crimes such as killing, raping and robbing public money, know that what they are doing is morally wrong. Then why do they commit such immoral acts? One clear answer is the instant pleasure and the lure of filthy lucre. When you are driven by greed or lust, you tend to suppress your moral judgement.

The history of those who commit crimes shows that they have to pay a heavy price for what they do. However, those who take ethical principles seriously too have to face certain consequences.

For instance, those who try to live with integrity are not blessed with creature comforts or a hassle-free life. Those who try to expose corruption or others who campaign for human rights should be ready to face the wrath of powerful people.

Sometimes those with very high moral principles are tempted to compromise their integrity for the sake of easy money. As Mel Thompson put it, “When the stakes are very high, integrity (and the morality that it entails) becomes expensive!”

An armchair moralist can preach moral principles and the value of personal integrity. However, in certain desperate situations, you will be compelled to commit an immoral act. For instance, a poor woman who has to feed her children might consent to have sex with a man for money. Under normal circumstances, she would never have consented to have sex with a stranger. Here the crucial test is the choice between integrity and survival. However, there were great men such as Socrates who preferred death rather than losing his integrity.