Guiding Questions

• What is corruption, and how does it harm justice?

• Why do people in power abuse it — and how can we stop them?

• Can systems themselves become corrupt, even if individuals seem honest?

What Is Corruption?

Corruption happens when power is used for private gain instead of the public good.

It takes many forms:

• Bribery – money or favors exchanged for influence

• Nepotism – giving jobs or advantages to family or friends

• Embezzlement – stealing public funds

• Cover-ups – hiding wrongdoing to protect the powerful

• Abuse of office – using authority to silence, punish, or reward unjustly

Corruption is not just “bad behavior.” It destroys trust, fairness, and the rule of law.

Real-World Examples

• A judge who accepts bribes to rule in favor of corporations

• A police officer who targets poor or minority communities unfairly

• A president who changes laws to stay in power

• A government that censors journalists and imprisons whistleblowers

These are not just personal failures — they are failures of justice.

Philosophical Perspectives

Plato – The Corruption of the Soul

In The Republic, Plato warned that unchecked desire for power and wealth leads rulers to serve themselves instead of the people.

Niccolò Machiavelli – Power Without Morals?

Machiavelli argued that leaders may need to deceive or manipulate to maintain control — but critics say this opens the door to endless abuse.

Hannah Arendt – The Banality of Evil

Arendt described how ordinary people, just “doing their job,” can become part of massive injustice — when systems of power are corrupted.

Signs of a Corrupt System

• Laws applied unequally

• Power concentrated in too few hands

• No independent media or judiciary

• Whistleblowers punished instead of protected

• Citizens feel fear, not trust, toward the state

Corruption thrives in silence. Justice needs transparency, accountability, and courage.

Two Perspectives

“Bad Apples” View

Corruption is the fault of a few unethical individuals. Fix the people, and the system works.

“Rotten System” View

Corruption is baked into the system itself — through incentives, structures, and power imbalances. Real change requires deep reform.

A Thought Experiment

Imagine a nation where:

• 90% of government officials follow the rules

• 10% secretly steal money or abuse their office

Now imagine the 90% say nothing, look away, or help cover up the crimes.

Who is more dangerous — the corrupt, or the silent?

Fighting Corruption: What Works?

• Free press to expose wrongdoing

• Independent courts to enforce the law

• Whistleblower protections for truth-tellers

• Transparency laws for government actions

• Public education to build awareness and resistance

• Democratic participation to hold power accountable

Justice dies when people give up. It lives when people speak up.

Reflect and Discuss

• Have you seen or experienced corruption? What did it feel like?

• Why do some people abuse power, even if they once had good intentions?

• What role can students and ordinary citizens play in resisting abuse?

Suggested Readings

• Plato – The Republic

• Niccolò Machiavelli – The Prince

• Hannah Arendt – Eichmann in Jerusalem

• Transparency International – Corruption Perceptions Index

• United Nations – Convention Against Corruption