Integrity is a prominent concept in ethical vocabulary. Nevertheless, a review of the existing literature shows different meanings of the term as well as the usage of its variable. Integrity is considered one of the most vital virtues held by individuals and institutions (Gibbons and Sutherland 8). An individual of integrity is also seen as being honest and with solid moral principles. However, in other fields, such as science, integrity is applied from a different perspective. This paper gives an extended definition of integrity. Integrity is a concept that is applied in many codes of ethics and evaluated using different perspectives.
The English meaning of integrity is different from the Polish one. The first English definition of integrity is based on the derivation of the term from Latin terms, integrity, and integer, meaning the state of something being whole or untouched. Integrity’s meaning of soundness is used about personality, health, or structural performance of things such as brain, airplane, among others. The second meaning refers to the unshakeable observance of moral codes, values, sheer sincerity, and honesty, as well as the avoidance of cheating, expediency, insincerity, or any form of shallowness. When an individual is referred to as being of integrity, it shows that he or she is responsible for the judgment, beliefs, and behaviors that he or she expresses or reveals. In ethics, integrity is commonly regarded as the accuracy of the actions of an individual. The term can be an almost exact opposite of hypocrisy since the utilization of the standards of integrity to make judgments regarding an individual entails the treatment of internal value consistency such as a virtue (Wajszczyk 102). Therefore, people with conflicting values are expected to be responsible for the inconsistency or change of their beliefs to be referred to as people of integrity.
Being consistent with moral and ethical standards is an individual’s choice (Gibbons and Sutherland 4). The concept of integrity implies wholeness, which is the complete amount of beliefs, usually known as a worldview. Authenticity and honesty are the major elements of wholeness, and the concept requires people to act always according to the form of the worldview that they choose to observe. Other than having moral and ethical implications on individuals, integrity also has a connotation on institutions. For instance, the assessment of integrity in a learning institution may involve establishing if the organization presents itself honestly to the public and the evaluation of the concept in intellectual inquiry and teaching, and whether the individuals in it are honest.
In the Polish language, the concept of integrity usually has two meanings just like in English. The first definition of the concept refers to the indivisibility and wholeness of an object, mostly, data, body, or the state. The second definition equates integrity to honesty when it is used about a person (Wajszczyk 103). Therefore, the use of the term ‘integrity’ in the English language is different from its application in the Polish language. The meaning of the term in the English language intrinsically has a positive and healthy aspect while in the Polish language it only expresses the meaning of wholeness.
In conclusion, integrity is a difficult concept to define since it has many definitions that are different and overlapping. In culture and ethics, the definition of the concept is positive and has a broad scope. While referring to objects such as data, institution, or the state, integrity is used to show their wholeness. The usage of the concept varies from one circumstance to another.
Works Cited
Gibbons, Tony, and Emily Sutherland, editors. Integrity and Historical Research. Routledge, 2012.
Wajszczyk, Piotr. “The Concept of Integrity and its Application to Engineering Ethics.” Ethics in Economic Life, vol. 17, no. 4, 2014, pp. 101-110.