On Feb. 13, 1962, the Dartmouth College faculty unanimously passed the Academic Honor Principle. An excerpt from the honor principle states that "the Faculty of Dartmouth College, in recognizing the responsibility of students for their own education, assumes intellectual honesty and integrity in the performance of academic assignments, both in the classroom and outside." That is the essence of Dartmouth's Honor Principle -- the code that is repeated over and over again in almost every classroom at the College. I don't think I have ever encountered a professor who has not referred to the honor principle at some point during the term and implied that the existence of this code leads to some reasonable expectations about the integrity of the student body. So does the honor principle really work? The College would like to think so. I'd like to think so. But let's be honest -- we all know the truth to be otherwise.
Let me state for the record that I don't think that honor code violations are rampant here. In fact, I only know of a handful of cases of blatant cheating. But that's not the point. It just seems to me that the entire concept of an honor principle is something of a paradox. In an ideal world, there would be no need for an honor principle. As my friend says, in an ideal world, we would all have a collective, implicit honor principle. But of course, we don't live in an ideal world and we need our own code of honor stated on a piece of paper. I guess I understand how this concept is not necessarily a bad thing. It demonstrates that the College cares about honor and integrity and supposedly has trust in its students. It isn't a bad idea, really, but the problem is that honor and integrity are amorphous ideas that are difficult -- sometimes impossible -- to enforce. Really, how can you enforce a principle?
Dartmouth's favorite way of enforcing the honor principle is by constantly repeating it. The moment you begin to take an exam, you're kindly reminded that of course, the honor principle applies for this test. Yes, kids, what a shock! You actually have to remember that you have honor and integrity for the next two hours and then you can revert to whatever code of principles you chose to follow before. It's insulting, really. If we students were actually trusted to have a moral code then maybe we wouldn't have to be reminded of it every time that code was put on test. And since these words are repeated so many times, they soon become meaningless noise that we hear only in the background and empty words with no relevance or importance in our lives.
I don't think I know anyone who thinks too much about the honor principle. That's not to say that Dartmouth students lack honor. I think most of us follow our own personal convictions, so if we're honest we don't cheat and if we're not then we do. It's as simple as that. So what purpose does the honor principle serve really? Maybe it's supposed to be a deterrent for prospective cheaters -- a constant reminder that if some day you're caught, then you will be in deep trouble. And maybe that's necessary. But if it is, then it should be presented in some other form -- as a disciplinary action of some sort and not as a violation of a principle. Because seen in that light, the honor principle is just another rule the College has set forth in front us, another rule that shouldn't be broken but might be exciting to break anyway. It's not really a principle anymore, it's not a sentiment or an idea. And that's the truly sad part of this entire story.
I don't know what the solution to this paradox is. How are we to enforce a principle that should have been instilled in us a long time ago? And if it must be enforced, then can it really be called a principle? Honor, ethics, integrity, principles -- these are all words in danger of losing their gravity, words that are used too often and too callously to carry the full force and weight of their meaning. We cannot let that happen, not in this community, not at Dartmouth. I believe that we all have enough principles of our own that we need not be reminded of it everyday. Because at the end of the day, we are only accountable to our own conscience, and no honor principle in the world can make you develop a conscience.
