To Restore America, Start With Honor

Bloomberg

16 hours ago

At the bottom of every test I took in college, I wrote: 'I pledge my honor that I have not violated the Honor Code during this examination,' and signed my name. I was used to making such promises. Since the ninth grade, an honor system had bound me and my classmates not to cheat or lie or help anyone else cheat or lie — and to report any 'suspected violation' to the school to be adjudicated by an Honor Council of students. We weren't just expected to tell the truth and act with integrity, but to stand up for what we believed to be right, even when doing so was costly. Both my high school and university saw it as their responsibility to instill a set of values along with knowledge. We relied on our institutions to shape us; as students and alumni, we also shaped them.
These days, 'pledging your honor' sounds very old-fashioned. But the traditional definition of honor — living consistently according to a set of moral or ethical principles — is something we desperately need in America today.