Why Cheating Is Wrong

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First and foremost, the student is wrong in claiming that that the act of cheating is natural in his/her nature. Unlike animals, human beings follow reason in making their actions. Upon saying that its a natural disposition for him/her cheat when he/she do not know the answer, he/she is associating himself/herself with the lavish animal instinct. Educational institutions adhere to certain rules against cheating and in most cases, cheating is a grave misconduct in an academic setting. Laws govern human conducts and with the student's response, it is a clear that the student has violated the rule against cheating. The reasons why cheating is prohibited are; it is unfair to other students who work hard to achieve good marks, the person who cheats …show more content…

Upon receiving the scholarship, he/she has the obligation to study very well in order for him/her to get good marks. In his/her scholarship remarks, he/she is making an appeal to pity (argumentum ad misericordiam), a fallacy inexcusable beyond any doubt. He/she presumes that cheating is a normal and must be understood. If the student is right, the purposes of formal education, assessment and learning are defeated. The purpose of rules is clearly to be followed; cheating violates this natural purpose. Thus, the student's statements are not correct.Natural law refers to the ethical guidelines or rules that stipulate what people ought to do rather that what they in fact do, and they apply equally to all humanity because they are rooted in human nature itself. (Harris, 1997) Because cheating is a universally accepted as wrong, the student is not exempted from such notion of conduct. With this, someone who truly understands the Theory of Natural Law will respond to the student's claim by explaining to him the nature of his/her act and the standards of human nature. The human is a rational being. He/she doesn't have the animal instinct that leads him/her to unconsciously make an …show more content…

Practically, no one learns by cheating. The knowledge necessary for the right ordering of human lives is taken cheaply.The law is promulgated, with a certain justifiable reason, for the common good of the people. In the case of the eternal law, all participates in a divine plan. As for humans, the participation entails contemplation. Once again, by saying that it is normal for any student to cheat, he/she do not adhere to the processes of discernment and reflection which is inscribed in the human nature alone. “In virtue of his intelligence and free will, man is master of his conduct” (The Catholic Encyclopedia) which means that the student does not reflect to his/her nature as a human being. As founded in the Scripture itself and the Natural law as well, there is a Divine prohibition against this act. Proverbs 11:1 strongly states that “The Lord hates cheating, but he delights in honesty.Even Natural law is not conceptualized; cheating will always be a grave misconduct. All societies affirm to the truth that it disregards the value of fair work, honesty, and knowledge.Cheating does no good, a clear indication why it is being

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