Integrity as an axiom
Intellects from various disciplines have striven for centuries to combine definitions of integrity into a single axiom, but their efforts have not yet proven successful. The ambiguity with which society defines integrity has created definitions that, though veracious in context, do not provide unification. In fact, the only proposal these scholars have agreed upon is that the hoi polloi is not pervaded with people of integrity. Whether these people are those of personal, intellectual, or moral integrity, they are anomalies who elevate the common man by their existence. Unfortunately, this fact only circumambulates a unifying idea. A true definition lies in the commonalities between those that have been proposed, and that commonality is truth itself. A person of integrity is someone who is dedicated to the possession of truth in all endeavors.
As a facet of integrity, personal integrity is a dedication to being one’s true self. This entails that people of personal integrity must live in a way that preserves their own identity. In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour,” Mrs. Mallard, after a pensive state of reflection, shows her personal integrity by thinking, “She would live for herself.” At first glance, this may make her seem against the altruism that society has become to accept as a requirement for a person of integrity, but, in reality, Mallard’s statement shows a breakthrough in her personal integrity in that she begins to accept herself without the influence of anyone else. By having an individual identity, Mallard and anyone who possesses personal integrity can hold steadfastly to their core beliefs. Of course, having a personal identity is ineffectual without having an identity that stands for something important. Free from the confines of marriage, Mallard begins to plan her life as a commitment to freedom, a goal that is substantial enough to merit a lifetime of dedication. Her new maxim becomes, “Free! Body and soul free!” By having such purpose, Mallard grows into someone dedicated to the truths that she holds dear. For her, the main truth is freedom, but people of personal integrity can shape their lives around any significant cause. After having developed her own identity and beliefs, Mallard is able to become an independent person, something all people of personal integrity must be. One’s true self is not defined by relations to other people, as Mallard knows her life had been defined by her late husband. Existence outside the realm of external influences allows people of integrity to remain their true selves regardless of what goes on around them. Indeed, personal integrity, when coupled with the whole idea of integrity as dedication to truth, requires that people of integrity be only themselves.
Unlike personal integrity, intellectual integrity is a dedication to pursuing thetruth in any endeavor requiring thought. Through dedication to facts, it is necessary that someone of intellectual integrity ignore bêtise. Martin Arrowsmith of Sinclair Lewis’s Arrowsmith is someone of intellectual integrity because he rarely accepts anything without solid evidence throughout his bacteriological studies. By refusing to heed contentions founded on sub-par findings, Arrowsmith’s erudite ideas are irrefutably rooted in truth, giving him an easy way to success in his field. When one is able to completely ignore falsities, one has the opportunity to see facts more readily. In pursuit of the truth, it is also a requirement that a person of intellectual integrity remains open-minded. Arrowsmith exhibits this facet of integrity through his “willingness to abandon conventional– and convenient– theories” (Lewis 126). At times, like in Arrowsmith’s experiences in the scientific community, society’s beliefs are not entirely accurate, and, when these ideas are questioned by one’s capacity to think in an unbigoted manner, truth becomes evident. However, the pursuit of truth in the face of prejudiced psyches can cause consequences. When Arrowsmith decides to devote his life to the unadulterated pursuit of knowledge after trying to debate the unyielding scientific community, he remarks, “Maybe we’ll get something permanent- and probably we’ll fail!” (Lewis 450). Arrowsmith is willing to accept the consequences of what seeking the truth necessitates, for the benefits of fact outweigh the benefits of comfort for a person of integrity. Intellectual integrity is possible not only for Arrowsmith, who is at the helm of his field, but for all sentient beings. All people able to become people of integrity, but only if their thoughts are devoted to finding the truth.
Like all integrity, moral integrity pertains to truth, but its uniqueness is that a person of moral integrity is one who pursues the truth of what is right and resists what is wrong. A universal code of ethical behavior has not yet been agreed upon, but a person of moral integrity does not need the auspices of ethicists to be dedicated to doing what is right. Mathilde Loisel of Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace” can be seen as a person of moral integrity, for, after having lost the valuable necklace she borrowed, she endeavors to do the right thing by remarking that she needs to “see about replacing the diamonds,” and following up on that statement. Her adherence to universally ethical behavior makes Loisel a person of integrity. However, there are instances when right and wrong are unclear, so a person of moral integrity must rely on his or her intuition. Loisel demonstrates her own intuition when she sees the lender of the lost necklace. At that moment, Loisel knows she should talk to the other woman, and the correctness of her intuition becomes clear through the consequences of her action. Correct intuition is important for a person of moral integrity, for it allows that person to venture to do the right thing all the time. Of course, a person’s moral integrity can be tempted by negative external influences, much like Loisel is tempted by luxury. However, Loisel is able to remain a person of moral integrity because she does not succumb to the corrupt external influences in her life that would have halted her moral endeavors, as all morally integral people must. Moral integrity, from its definition as a dedication to the truth of doing what is right, becomes vastly important, for doing what is right allows one to develop an attitude geared towards continual acts of integrity.
The idea that integrity is the dedication to truth makes being a person of integrity extremely arduous since different types of integrity are not always in accordance. A person of integrity must possess all types of integrity, for they are individually necessary and jointly sufficient. Unfortunately, that is not always possible. Doodle’s brother from James Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis” is a character of personal integrity whose personal views rarely change, but he is not a person of moral integrity since he indirectly causes his brother’s death. This makes Brother unable to be a person of integrity at all. One may ponder how Brother could have become a person of integrity, but Doodle’s death presents a quagmire for Brother and renders him unable to be a person of more than one type of integrity. When contemplating whether or not to leave Doodle, Brother is compelled to leave him in order to retain his own personal integrity, for that is in concordance with himself as a person. Conversely, if Brother wants to be a person of moral integrity, then he must stay with his brother. This contradiction makes being a person of integrity extremely difficult in situations that present different solutions to maintaining integrity. Indeed, all of the conundrums faced by people striving to become people of integrity
make being a person of integrity seem almost unfeasible.
Of course, an ideal person would a person of personal, intellectual, and moral integrity whose goals revolves around dedication to
truth. Unfortunately, the delineations of integrity make it an ideal rather than a realistic goal. The idealism found in its definition comes from the idealism found in truth, for truth is merely an ideal. Without the cornerstone of integrity being palpable, it will continue to be a nearly unattainable aspiration. Indeed, simulacrums of integrity are the only things that have allowed philosophers to have the slightest notion of what it is, and that will continue to be the case in the future. For the time being, humanity must essay to become closer to being people of integrity, and perhaps the ideal will become real after all.
Works Cited
Cox, Damian, Marguerite La Caze, and Michael Levine. “Integrity.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University, 06 Dec. 2012. Web. 09 Apr. 2001.
Lewis, Sinclair. Arrowsmith. New York: Signet Classics, 2008. Print.
As a facet of integrity, personal integrity is a dedication to being one’s true self. This entails that people of personal integrity must live in a way that preserves their own identity. In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour,” Mrs. Mallard, after a pensive state of reflection, shows her personal integrity by thinking, “She would live for herself.” At first glance, this may make her seem against the altruism that society has become to accept as a requirement for a person of integrity, but, in reality, Mallard’s statement shows a breakthrough in her personal integrity in that she begins to accept herself without the influence of anyone else. By having an individual identity, Mallard and anyone who possesses personal integrity can hold steadfastly to their core beliefs. Of course, having a personal identity is ineffectual without having an identity that stands for something important. Free from the confines of marriage, Mallard begins to plan her life as a commitment to freedom, a goal that is substantial enough to merit a lifetime of dedication. Her new maxim becomes, “Free! Body and soul free!” By having such purpose, Mallard grows into someone dedicated to the truths that she holds dear. For her, the main truth is freedom, but people of personal integrity can shape their lives around any significant cause. After having developed her own identity and beliefs, Mallard is able to become an independent person, something all people of personal integrity must be. One’s true self is not defined by relations to other people, as Mallard knows her life had been defined by her late husband. Existence outside the realm of external influences allows people of integrity to remain their true selves regardless of what goes on around them. Indeed, personal integrity, when coupled with the whole idea of integrity as dedication to truth, requires that people of integrity be only themselves.
Unlike personal integrity, intellectual integrity is a dedication to pursuing thetruth in any endeavor requiring thought. Through dedication to facts, it is necessary that someone of intellectual integrity ignore bêtise. Martin Arrowsmith of Sinclair Lewis’s Arrowsmith is someone of intellectual integrity because he rarely accepts anything without solid evidence throughout his bacteriological studies. By refusing to heed contentions founded on sub-par findings, Arrowsmith’s erudite ideas are irrefutably rooted in truth, giving him an easy way to success in his field. When one is able to completely ignore falsities, one has the opportunity to see facts more readily. In pursuit of the truth, it is also a requirement that a person of intellectual integrity remains open-minded. Arrowsmith exhibits this facet of integrity through his “willingness to abandon conventional– and convenient– theories” (Lewis 126). At times, like in Arrowsmith’s experiences in the scientific community, society’s beliefs are not entirely accurate, and, when these ideas are questioned by one’s capacity to think in an unbigoted manner, truth becomes evident. However, the pursuit of truth in the face of prejudiced psyches can cause consequences. When Arrowsmith decides to devote his life to the unadulterated pursuit of knowledge after trying to debate the unyielding scientific community, he remarks, “Maybe we’ll get something permanent- and probably we’ll fail!” (Lewis 450). Arrowsmith is willing to accept the consequences of what seeking the truth necessitates, for the benefits of fact outweigh the benefits of comfort for a person of integrity. Intellectual integrity is possible not only for Arrowsmith, who is at the helm of his field, but for all sentient beings. All people able to become people of integrity, but only if their thoughts are devoted to finding the truth.
Like all integrity, moral integrity pertains to truth, but its uniqueness is that a person of moral integrity is one who pursues the truth of what is right and resists what is wrong. A universal code of ethical behavior has not yet been agreed upon, but a person of moral integrity does not need the auspices of ethicists to be dedicated to doing what is right. Mathilde Loisel of Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace” can be seen as a person of moral integrity, for, after having lost the valuable necklace she borrowed, she endeavors to do the right thing by remarking that she needs to “see about replacing the diamonds,” and following up on that statement. Her adherence to universally ethical behavior makes Loisel a person of integrity. However, there are instances when right and wrong are unclear, so a person of moral integrity must rely on his or her intuition. Loisel demonstrates her own intuition when she sees the lender of the lost necklace. At that moment, Loisel knows she should talk to the other woman, and the correctness of her intuition becomes clear through the consequences of her action. Correct intuition is important for a person of moral integrity, for it allows that person to venture to do the right thing all the time. Of course, a person’s moral integrity can be tempted by negative external influences, much like Loisel is tempted by luxury. However, Loisel is able to remain a person of moral integrity because she does not succumb to the corrupt external influences in her life that would have halted her moral endeavors, as all morally integral people must. Moral integrity, from its definition as a dedication to the truth of doing what is right, becomes vastly important, for doing what is right allows one to develop an attitude geared towards continual acts of integrity.
The idea that integrity is the dedication to truth makes being a person of integrity extremely arduous since different types of integrity are not always in accordance. A person of integrity must possess all types of integrity, for they are individually necessary and jointly sufficient. Unfortunately, that is not always possible. Doodle’s brother from James Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis” is a character of personal integrity whose personal views rarely change, but he is not a person of moral integrity since he indirectly causes his brother’s death. This makes Brother unable to be a person of integrity at all. One may ponder how Brother could have become a person of integrity, but Doodle’s death presents a quagmire for Brother and renders him unable to be a person of more than one type of integrity. When contemplating whether or not to leave Doodle, Brother is compelled to leave him in order to retain his own personal integrity, for that is in concordance with himself as a person. Conversely, if Brother wants to be a person of moral integrity, then he must stay with his brother. This contradiction makes being a person of integrity extremely difficult in situations that present different solutions to maintaining integrity. Indeed, all of the conundrums faced by people striving to become people of integrity
make being a person of integrity seem almost unfeasible.
Of course, an ideal person would a person of personal, intellectual, and moral integrity whose goals revolves around dedication to
truth. Unfortunately, the delineations of integrity make it an ideal rather than a realistic goal. The idealism found in its definition comes from the idealism found in truth, for truth is merely an ideal. Without the cornerstone of integrity being palpable, it will continue to be a nearly unattainable aspiration. Indeed, simulacrums of integrity are the only things that have allowed philosophers to have the slightest notion of what it is, and that will continue to be the case in the future. For the time being, humanity must essay to become closer to being people of integrity, and perhaps the ideal will become real after all.
Works Cited
Cox, Damian, Marguerite La Caze, and Michael Levine. “Integrity.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University, 06 Dec. 2012. Web. 09 Apr. 2001.
Lewis, Sinclair. Arrowsmith. New York: Signet Classics, 2008. Print.
reflection
Process: To accomplish this task, I veered off of my typical writing path. In fact, I first developed a thesis of what I personally believed
integrity to be. I had to brainstorm for Mrs. Boyd as an assignment what that definition could be. Then, after having developed that definition, I commenced to accumulate short stories whose theme supported my definition. I structured my essay using a chart with a thesis and several points underneath. With that chart, I made my first draft of my integrity essay that was, to say the least, subpar. In order to ameliorate it, I ended up producing several drafts. In fact, my second or third draft was submitted to Mrs. Boyd for review. Once I got feedback from peer editors and Mrs. Boyd, I finalized my essay using their comments and created what I thought to be the best possible final product. This was the first piece of substantial writing in Mrs. Boyd’s English class, and, as a result, the process of creating it was restricted so as to ensure that the entire class was on the same page.
Product: I like certain parts of this product. First, I think that my introductory paragraph was stellar. I feel like I worked the most on
that because it was the first thing that people would read in my essay, and, in order to catch their attention and establish myself as a credible, knowledgeable writer, I needed to “knock their socks off.” This was accomplished through the careful use of diction and syntax as well as laborious attempts to let the paragraph flow well from one idea to the next. In addition, I feel that my organization of this essay was very nice. The thesis of truth was vague enough to ensure that my paragraphs had a unifying thread between them, and I think that this is one of my better organized essays, despite better grades on essays to come in terms of organization. Finally, I like my integration of examples without having to use a plethora of quotations. To be sure, quotations are beneficial in some points, but essays that overuse them tend to distract the reader. I avoided this distracting element by paraphrasing points of the story rather than always quoting directly. This, as well as the aforesaid positive points, helped my essay to be a sophisticated start to long-term projects in Mrs. Boyd’s English class.
Growth: This writing pushed my abilities by restricting me. This project was the first long-term assignment, and, as teachers often do, Mrs. Boyd required her class to adhere to a certain way of writing things so as to ensure success for even the worst writers in the class. However, for more advanced writers who have already developed their system, this was somewhat difficult. I learned that Mrs. Boyd had a different way of doing things than I did, which was interesting. I can always learn from other viewpoints, and I did so during this assignment. Also, reaffirmed my aversion to page limits, as they require me to make my essays choppy and require me to say things in a more confusing way for lack of space. I actually think it is funny that my longer essay (Poetry research paper) was commented upon for being simple whereas a shorter essay such as this had a propensity to confuse. I guess I struggle to articulate certain ideas in a small amount of space that would, had they been explained with more words, actually seem quite simple. Indeed, every chance of writing is an opportunity for growth, and this piece is no exception.
Improvement: Areas for improvement abound in this integrity essay. First, my thesis, though able to encompass all of my ideas, ought to have been more specific as a definition of integrity. The idea of integrity is almost ineffable, and, as a result, definitions never seem to master its complex ideas. I suppose I did the best I could, for I cannot think of a better definition of integrity. In addition, some phrases in my essay were redundant, such as a “pensive state of reflection.” Such errors were made because I was essaying to employ a multitude of varied vocabulary through the addition of adjectives. Sometimes economy of words is second to getting in some good words, and it ought not to have been in this restricted paper in terms of space. Also, despite having taken out many absolutes in the process of editing drafts, some still oozed into my final piece. In this writing more so than others, I found it difficult to avoid absolutes because I personally view integrity as an absolute and truth, part of its definition, as an absolute. In some cases, I think absolutes ought to be used, but, according to Mrs. Boyd, all absolutes destroy the message of essays. Despite the absoluteness of Mrs. Boyd’s idea, I see her point, and I should be more careful when using absolutes. To be sure, this first major assignment was not perfect, but it offered a good starting point.
integrity to be. I had to brainstorm for Mrs. Boyd as an assignment what that definition could be. Then, after having developed that definition, I commenced to accumulate short stories whose theme supported my definition. I structured my essay using a chart with a thesis and several points underneath. With that chart, I made my first draft of my integrity essay that was, to say the least, subpar. In order to ameliorate it, I ended up producing several drafts. In fact, my second or third draft was submitted to Mrs. Boyd for review. Once I got feedback from peer editors and Mrs. Boyd, I finalized my essay using their comments and created what I thought to be the best possible final product. This was the first piece of substantial writing in Mrs. Boyd’s English class, and, as a result, the process of creating it was restricted so as to ensure that the entire class was on the same page.
Product: I like certain parts of this product. First, I think that my introductory paragraph was stellar. I feel like I worked the most on
that because it was the first thing that people would read in my essay, and, in order to catch their attention and establish myself as a credible, knowledgeable writer, I needed to “knock their socks off.” This was accomplished through the careful use of diction and syntax as well as laborious attempts to let the paragraph flow well from one idea to the next. In addition, I feel that my organization of this essay was very nice. The thesis of truth was vague enough to ensure that my paragraphs had a unifying thread between them, and I think that this is one of my better organized essays, despite better grades on essays to come in terms of organization. Finally, I like my integration of examples without having to use a plethora of quotations. To be sure, quotations are beneficial in some points, but essays that overuse them tend to distract the reader. I avoided this distracting element by paraphrasing points of the story rather than always quoting directly. This, as well as the aforesaid positive points, helped my essay to be a sophisticated start to long-term projects in Mrs. Boyd’s English class.
Growth: This writing pushed my abilities by restricting me. This project was the first long-term assignment, and, as teachers often do, Mrs. Boyd required her class to adhere to a certain way of writing things so as to ensure success for even the worst writers in the class. However, for more advanced writers who have already developed their system, this was somewhat difficult. I learned that Mrs. Boyd had a different way of doing things than I did, which was interesting. I can always learn from other viewpoints, and I did so during this assignment. Also, reaffirmed my aversion to page limits, as they require me to make my essays choppy and require me to say things in a more confusing way for lack of space. I actually think it is funny that my longer essay (Poetry research paper) was commented upon for being simple whereas a shorter essay such as this had a propensity to confuse. I guess I struggle to articulate certain ideas in a small amount of space that would, had they been explained with more words, actually seem quite simple. Indeed, every chance of writing is an opportunity for growth, and this piece is no exception.
Improvement: Areas for improvement abound in this integrity essay. First, my thesis, though able to encompass all of my ideas, ought to have been more specific as a definition of integrity. The idea of integrity is almost ineffable, and, as a result, definitions never seem to master its complex ideas. I suppose I did the best I could, for I cannot think of a better definition of integrity. In addition, some phrases in my essay were redundant, such as a “pensive state of reflection.” Such errors were made because I was essaying to employ a multitude of varied vocabulary through the addition of adjectives. Sometimes economy of words is second to getting in some good words, and it ought not to have been in this restricted paper in terms of space. Also, despite having taken out many absolutes in the process of editing drafts, some still oozed into my final piece. In this writing more so than others, I found it difficult to avoid absolutes because I personally view integrity as an absolute and truth, part of its definition, as an absolute. In some cases, I think absolutes ought to be used, but, according to Mrs. Boyd, all absolutes destroy the message of essays. Despite the absoluteness of Mrs. Boyd’s idea, I see her point, and I should be more careful when using absolutes. To be sure, this first major assignment was not perfect, but it offered a good starting point.