Integrity

Public life is often influenced by media storms surrounding integrity. The behavior of elected politicians like Donald Trump and Boris Johnson has led many to criticize the decline in standards and the lack of integrity in public life. But what is integrity, and where does our concern for it in public life originate?

In this book, Martin Albrow argues that integrity has been a crucial component in the rise of the West and a key feature that distinguishes it from other civilizations. He traces the concept of integrity back to its roots in Ancient Greece and Rome, where philosophical debates shaped its special meaning: the idea that the unity of any entity, including human beings, depends on adherence to external rules. He then follows the evolution of integrity through the medieval Christian period up to the present day.

By the twenty-first century, integrity has become a vague term that can apply to anything. This has led to ongoing questioning of integrity without definitive answers. Albrow contends that the West must abandon its belief in its uniqueness and work with the rest of the world to establish an order where honesty, trust, and reliability in our relationships—whether with friends, strangers, personal or corporate—are paramount.

This highly original account of an idea central to Western culture will interest anyone concerned about the state and future of our public life.