University of Virginia Library

No Self-deception

Our Honor System can remain
effective only if it is supported by a
consensus of the student body. An
honor system that is not supported
by the students breeds only cynicism
and dissatisfaction. That system
may look fine on paper, but it
will not be realistically effective. As
Prof. Robert Gooch stated to the
entering class of 1955: "No self-deception
is possible. An Honor
System either works, or it does not.
And if it does not, it is not really an
Honor System. It does not exist."