What Integrity Means
The term “integrity” is considered polysemantic meaning it has a number of different meanings. Integrity is the most important terms used in virtue ethics, music, philosophy, for example. Integrity is used in the scientific and technological fields. Therefore, this term is often puzzling and perplexing. Often, people use integrity as a synonym to “moral” trying to show that person is acting with integrity. However, researchers noted that “people of integrity” may act immorally, even if they are unaware of their immoral actions.
Firstly, modern world suggests that any person is subjected to many conflicting desires and situations. Thus, integrity is defined as the ability to make reasonable and valid judgments, conclusions about the importance and necessity of particular commitments. Integrity suggests that a person should act out of the strongest desire and with deliberation to choose between more or less desirable actions. In other words, integrity always suggests discriminating between important desires. For example, a student may discard studying preferring go to the party.
In such situation student is not a person of integrity as higher order desire was endorsed over fun. Person of integrity realizes the importance of first-order desires and he won’t fall victim to conflicting desires. Further, integrity is defined as ability to resist genuine temptation meaning that a person is ready successful integrate the self. Secondly, in computer and related sciences integrity means that computer database is able to maintain power and resist to errors, integrity of defense systems suggests that system isn’t breached.
Thirdly, in music, musical work has integrity if its musical structure is provided with completeness which is coordinated and has related music ideas. Simply saying, integrity in music means that music piece is whole, intact and pure. Fourthly, Integrity is associated with geography. Then, people may think of integrity of wilderness region, different existing ecosystems, art kinds and forms, and even people may think of computerized integrity. Integrity is applied mostly to the objects and it suggests the qualities of purity and wholeness an object.
These meanings are often applied to people. Speaking about regions, integrity means that a region isn’t corrupted by negative effects of development and its advances. Region of integrity suggests wilderness and uncorrupted or virgin. Finally, intellectual, professional and artistic integrity are often spoken about. Nevertheless, integrity has found its application mostly in philosophy meaning human’s general character. In philosophy, when a person acts with integrity on a particular occasion it means that integrity is explained as broader feature of person’ character.
There is a claim that person should possess integrity. Integrity suggests that a person is in harmony with himself, that he acts either morally or immorally. It means that integrity is applied equally to people things because integrity suggests a way to keep the self uncorrupted. Integrity is often associated with commitment, and some researchers stress that the term ‘commitment’ is used to cover intentions and promises of human expectations and, what is more important, human trusts.
It means that any person may be committed to different kinds of things at the same time. Such person is integrated person. Summing up, integrity is found in many aspects of human’s life. Integrity is defined as personal virtues meaning that person’s ability to take care of the self shows whether a person is integrated. Moreover, persons of integrity treat equally other people’s matters. Abilities to overcome temptation and to subordinate first-order and second-order desires are considered the keys for a person to be considered of integrity.
