what is cheating?

[fakename]

opinions?

 

[Curious_Seed]

I’ve come to realize that I don’t know exactly what this means. For instance, if someone is unjustly compelled to do something is it cheating to employ subterfuge to circumvent it? If a student doesn’t think his work is important, and say he already knows the answers to it, is it cheating for him to “farm-out” his work to others since 1) he already attains to the ends provided by the work, 2) he has conceivably more important things to do, 3) his aim is not to get the answers for free, but rather he is not really aiming to do the work at all?

You’ve come to realize you don’t know exactly what cheating means.

Well, if you use the word, it means you know it’s definition.

If you know it’s definition, but don’t know it’s application, then you won’t apply the word.

But, if you know it’s definition, and you apply it, then you know what it means.

If you are asking if cheating is wrong or sinful, then look up once again the definition of the word.

 

[Pug]

This thread has been gone for awhile but I want to suggest a definition of cheating since I can’t find one in any moral theology book I’ve seen.

I think that perhaps, cheating is not itself a sin but is a word that applies to many sins: theft and lying being the main two.

I can’t see however how cheating could be an actual sin since the instances of cheating -like doing someone else’s homework doesn’t seem necessarily wrong the only thing that is wrong is the fact that one intends to deceive and two, the teacher is deceived but those are really extrinsic factors.

Any additions?

Extrinsic? Seems like the whole point is to convince someone that homework is yours.

But, let’s say what really motivates you (a hypothetical person, not you) is ordering your friend around. Then you might grab a random worksheet out of your backpack and tell your friend to do the worksheet simply to experience the fun of making the poor sap do something unpleasant or feel stupid. You discard the worksheet when he finishes. This is not an instance of what is typically called cheating. It is something else.

Don’t forget that there are at least two people (besides the teacher or parent) involved in cheating as you described in your post, so the sin of scandal, bad example, or cooperation is part of it.

 

[fakename]

Extrinsic? Seems like the whole point is to convince someone that homework is yours.

But, let’s say what really motivates you (a hypothetical person, not you) is ordering your friend around. Then you might grab a random worksheet out of your backpack and tell your friend to do the worksheet simply to experience the fun of making the poor sap do something unpleasant or feel stupid. You discard the worksheet when he finishes. This is not an instance of what is typically called cheating. It is something else.

Don’t forget that there are at least two people (besides the teacher or parent) involved in cheating as you described in your post, so the sin of scandal, bad example, or cooperation is part of it.

Well I think that it is still extrinsic since even considering that the point is to deceive someone, that is only bad because most people tacitly but consciously agree to not deceive their teachers. So in away, cheating is breaking a contract. But not all cheating or deception is wrong -to deceive an enemy in a war is wrong only when it is done for an unjust advantage. Cheating or Fraud is deception to gain an unjust advantage, not deception by itself. Indeed, I would say that absent the “tacit contract” it would be okay to deceive the teacher since no person owes or has an obligation of justice to give people truth --if they did then once more, deception in war would be bad.

but to take a different argument, something you naturally need is something you have a right to. But man is rational and the perfection of reason is truth. So shouldn’t people have a right to the truth? But is that taking it too far -wouldn’t then people have a right to supreme truth or God? But only a few people do gain God…perhaps man’s life is like a cosmic contract.

 

[Pug]

I think you misconstrue the Catholic understanding of when truth is required. It is true that war allows for deception, but not because no person ever has an obligation to give someone the truth. We do have an obligation to be truthful in many situations, but love/charity for others means it is not unconditional.

I agree with your second point that a man does not have a right to every truth. It is not like some person walking up to your front door is entitled to a recital of every fact about you, your family, and your neighbors.

I found something on the point online, not straight to your actual question, but the article might contain sufficient insight for you. At least it is a moral theology text on the subject. In the analysis section it says:
Cheating, properly so-called, is a form of fraud, and so is always wrong.
Please note that the source here is an orthodox seminary moral theology textbook author.