About Honesty

IMHO . . .
IMHO, "honesty" is a moral principle - ethical, virtuous, righteous, noble . . . conforming to a standard of what is right and good. Also, if you cannot believe what I say, . . . honestly, what do we have to talk about? Think the Aesop Fable, "Cry Wolf."[/color]

Re: About Honesty


Allow me to start by commending your honesty in admitting that it is not an absolute part of your character. The obvious technical answer is that it is a noun, but you're also asking if it is substantive. I would say rather that it is an abstract noun, about an idea, which is a "thing," but not a substantive, not a physical thing.



Certainly it is not a law, in any sense of either statute, moral imperative or a description of a mechanism of physics--but simply stating that would involve an obfuscation--itself a form of dishonesty. Statutroy law purports to treat of honesty or the lack thereof, as it is appertained in the consequences. Morality would usually, i'd think, insist upon the trait, and science would merely reply that a demonstration of dishonesty is evidence of the invalidation of any theorectical structure based upon the matter in which honesty were lacking. I would come to the conclusion that honesty actually only concerns morality, or ethics--and that, so far as i know, any system of morals or ethics would consider honesty a trait for which one should aspire to perfection.

In speculating on the nature of "primitive" humans, i would say that a concept of honesty derives from a realization of the value of probity to the dealings crucial to a group's well being. Which is to say, i supposed, that a requirement for honesty by one's peers antedates the construction of morality or ethics--the most "primitive" of humans should be able to conceive of the necessity honesty, without reference to "higher" imperatives of personal character.

No, i would not equate it with law.



There are certainly those for whom it would be convenient to characterize honesty in such a manner, especially if they hoped to benefit from dishonesty, or a lack of complete candor, while retaining the option of justifying their actions with a resort to the accusation that one were dealing with a platitude, and a naive one.



Very good, Boss, this is precisely what i mean by "primitives" being able to grasp the value of adopting such a trait, without reference to morality or ethics. I like the way you've expressed it, in that it points to the value of honesty to a group--security, mental, and possibly physical as well.



Hear hear--better to say nothing than to lie or dissemble.

To the extent that i've tried to define it, and with reference to how you've described it, i'd call honesty a virtue--and an ancient one as well.

Thank you gentlemen, for your replies.

Setanta,
Are you brilliant or what??

Your articulations are logical and your choice of expressions easily understood, (after one has opened "your dictionary" and finally comprehended the sentence!)

Just kidding! Seriously, your use of the language is brilliant!

I agree with your conclusions, btw.

Thank you for your kind remarks. I greatly enjoyed the topic, and your views expressed on honesty.