Ethics or Morality: Cheating on Tests

Hi, Brothers and Sisters!

I have come across a little bit of an ethical issue over the last couple days and it got me thinking about a subject my partner and I have discussed in great detail.
Cheating on tests/assignments.

I would like to know what some the Jedi (and Sith alike) think of this.
It is important to note that there can be many different reasons for cheating on tests or school work such as perhaps, one is failing the class and it is a last resort, or even just they are lazy. In some cases, it takes a genius to be able to cheat on a certain test/assignment but does the intelligence of the action take away from what the person has done?

Would love to know what you all think
Force be with you all

A Jedi has Integrity. This is directly from the doctrine. Cheating is to lie to oneself, another, and to anyone who asks you if you cheated or not.

Yes, it is tempting. I've been presented with that temptation a lot. The fear of failure leads to many a desperate act. But fear leads to anger (this includes to oneself), anger leads to hate (this can also include to oneself), and hate leads to suffering. Do not subject yourself to suffering over a test.

Even if no one finds out, you will know that you cheated. Even if you think its for the best, you will have to know you lowered your integrity.

I'm also saying this as a student that's looking forward at his school year knowing I'm not gonna enjoy the year and knowing I could cheat to help me get that piece of paper at the end. But in the end, it will never be worth it.

I'm not quite sure where I stand on this issue.

As a student I was always the one people wanted to cheat off of rather than the person who needed/wanted to cheat. As such, I honestly don't remember ever cheating on a test. Homework? Well, I never really "cheated" on that, but I did go to study groups with friends where we sort of shared answers and helped each other out. Homework is mostly unnecessary drivel anyway so I have no qualms about cheating on that (the exception to this is in college/university, I am there to learn and am paying for the opportunity, so I would not cheat there, even on homework.)

I guess it's basically the same as lying so, I'd say that unless there were some extenuating circumstances where it was really necessary to cheat it is probably not a very "good" thing to do. However, as a moral nihilist I have to say: do what serves you best, morals and ethics are made up anyway (just don't get caught doing it if you're going to cheat). When it came down to it I really didn't care when people wanted to cheat off me in school. I always sort of figured if they want to avoid actually learning something and just pass the class it's not my problem that they'll move on to the next grade without learning anything. They will eventually pay for their lack of studying and learning when they get out into the "real world." Even so, I generally liked the people who came to me for help with their studying. I much prefer teaching to just sharing work to be copied.

In my opinion if you need to cheat then anything you gain is worthless.
You are failing before you even try.
I dont personally think it shows intelligence, it shows intelligence to ask for more help if you need it in order to feel confident enougth in yourself to try and pass or shows your character if you study and build up the skills you already pocess.

Tests or Exams?

Academic exams that are there to measure your level of study or understanding of theoretical or practical things are probably there for a reason, and if you cheat you're missing the point.


Tests on the other hand I cheat at all the time - Work likes to give me tests (because they can't tell the difference between "actually improving the skills and knowledge of their staff" and "giving pointless tasks let middle managers justify their existence and demonstrate to....someone....that the staff are being "tested" "

I cheat on them all the time because I understand their purpose, and I have nothing to gain either way, so might as well do it as quickly as possible because then I at least lose less time. Time I could spend doing almost anything more interesting, like picking my nose.

Do I think it's an ethical issue?


Eh, I assume everyone is a degenerate - The people who have titles, the people who grant titles, the people who audit them both, and the people who audit the auditors - The whole lot are about as reliable as an internal combustion engine made of jello - so I don't really think qualifications are worth the cheap frames most people put them in, but I guess if you're the sort of person that thinks Doctors should have done certain Tests or what have you, then cheating to obtain one or another status is probably an ethical issue.

James Sands point noted because well dang that's pretty good reasoning.

So, I am going to have a pretty biased view as I work in education. But, let me put this in frame first. I was an a-hole student that would literally piss teachers off beyond belief. Mostly because, I always did the reading from High School through College, I would literally show up to class once in a while.......get A's or B's on tests and then not return until a project or test was coming up. Obviously, this scored me lots of cheating accusations however, the one time they tried to test it by isolating me and making me take a different test on the same material. Ironically I let a lot of people cheat off me including writing peoples papers for money in college until I got caught because I write in a very specific voice and it went to a prof I already had.

Anyways point is, cheating is plagiarism with a different name is it not?

Love Respect and Peace,
Kobos

Kobos wrote: Anyways point is, cheating is plagiarism with a different name is it not?

No, plagiarism is plagiarism. If anything plagiarism is theft. As a writer I take plagiarism very seriously. Cheating on a test isn't quite the same thing.

I am learning to teach history so I also take plagiarism quite seriously please don't take my statement as minimizing it's significance.

From one perspective yes. But, should someone write an answer from a test and you copy it, are you not stealing their understanding of that question. Wither it be written out or simply a point on a multiple choice you are stealing their idea, and hoping they are right.

When could cheating be morally justifiable?

Kobos wrote: I am learning to teach history so I also take plagiarism quite seriously please don't take my statement as minimizing it's significance.

From one perspective yes. But, should someone write an answer from a test and you copy it, are you not stealing their understanding of that question. Wither it be written out or simply a point on a multiple choice you are stealing their idea, and hoping they are right.

I suppose...but that kind of "stealing" doesn't bother me as much. I'm not really sure why. I guess if someone wants to try to fake their way through a class that's their deal.

If it's a written answer then yea, that's essentially plagiarism.