Currently, the definition of corruption is “the abuse of entrustedpower for private gain” (Transparency International). At first, I thought thatdefinition was about as good as it could get. However, a more scientificdefinition was coined by professor (emeritus) dr.
Petrus van Duyne. He definescorruption as a fallacy in the decision-making process of a person as hechooses to neglect the rules in the hopes of a reward (van Duyne, 2001). So, inother words, it could be called a shortfall in a person’s ability todistinguish right from wrong, a moral decadence. This is exactly what I will betalking about, morals and ethics, always concerning corruption. Whenever someone participates in corruption, we can say hebasically sees things in tunnel vision with a complete disregard for others.
Hehas a singular purpose, to resolve his own matters without the slightestconsideration of the damage caused to others. This portrays a very weak personwith a fragile sense of morals and ethics. He always tries to find the easy wayout and refuses to face the consequences of his actions. Apart from being aparasite in the society, this shameless person will manifest his lack of ethicsand morals in many other areas of his life as well. He can be called anunreliable person, at best. And, we didn’t even mention the simple and obviousfact that taking part in corruption means breaking the law. It is said that family is the building block of society(Ruckelshaus). However, individuals are the building blocks of family, so wewould not be wrong in saying that individuals are the building blocks ofsociety.
Personally, I think that society is a mirror that reflects its peoples’true identity. A society made up of morally weak people is doomed to fall.Corruption will eat it from the inside out and there can be no salvationbecause everyone will be too corrupt to see beyond their noses. However, if wewere to imagine a society made of morally strong and virtuous people, then wewould be dealing with a fair, developed and exemplary society. Corruption is truly a serious matter of the gravest importance. Iwill try to name a few ways that we can reduce corruption, simply by being moreself-conscious and by improving ourselves.
In the war against corruption,education is the secret weapon that can guarantee us the victory. Furthermore,”an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” (Franklin, 1736) so, apre-emptive strategy can be very effective against corruption. After learninghow to distinguish right from wrong, we need to strengthen our moral musclesand discipline in order to chase only what is right and just. It may be themost difficult thing to do, but it’s in our best interest in the long run. Whenwe have established a sense of adamant integrity, that’s when we know we are onthe right track and fully deserve a pat on the back. Simply put, corruption is a shortcoming of human nature but something that canbe recovered from, nonetheless.
With a hefty amount of discipline anddetermination, every person can become a moral beacon in his society and anexample to be followed. It is very easy to fall prey to corruption but it iseven more important that we do not. The fate of the entire society depends onthe choices of each and every one of us. While I am fully aware that this essaywill not pave the way towards a perfect society made of perfect individuals, Iremain confident that the points discussed here will be able to make a positivechange. List of References: Prof.Dr.
Van Duyne,Petrus C. “Defining corruption” Will Caligula go transparant? Corruption inacts & attitudes, vol. 1, Forum on Crime and Society, 2001, www.petrusvanduyne.
nl/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Corruptie-VN.pdf. Ringwall, Kris.”BeefTalk: An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure.” Ag News fromNDSU, www.ag.
ndsu.edu/news/columns/beeftalk/beeftalk-an-ounce-of-prevention-is-worth-a-pound-of-cure/. “The family is thebuilding block for whatever solidarity there is in society.” Iz Quotes,izquotes.
com/quote/332743. TransparencyInternational. “What is corruption?” Transparency International, www.transparency.
org/what-is-corruption.UN Global Compact, www.unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/mission/principles/principle-10. Corruptie.org, http://www.corruptie.org/en/corruption/what-is-corruption/
