Can cheating ever be ethical?

As students, we understand that desperate times call for desperate measures, but what measures are considered too far? According to our institution’s academic policies, cheating and academic dishonesty are prohibited. I do agree that cheating is wrong. Rather than attempt to counter this, I am more interested in exploring why some students cheat, and at what point might it be considered ethical.

Before I continue, let me insert a clear disclaimer for my professors and classmates alike: I have never cheated, I do not condone cheating, and I do not plan on cheating in the future. Despite not having personal experience, I wanted to try to imagine myself in a cheating scenario. Picture this: I walk into my ethics class having not read the week's reading. Last class, I wasn’t able to take lots of notes because I was struggling with my focus. For whatever reason, I had forgotten about today's quiz and my face drops when I see the paper being passed around. In my panic, I glance at my neighbor's paper and quickly copy her multiple-choice answers. Undeniably everyone on this campus would agree that this fictional version of me is in the wrong. 

Now, what if the circumstances were shifted? What if I wasn’t able to complete my readings because I had to work extra shifts to cover my monthly tuition payment? What if I couldn’t focus because my roommate refused to turn his Xbox off every night? What if I had all A’s in this class, but this one quiz had found me during unfortunate circumstances outside of my control? If I hadn’t cheated, my grade would plummet, and it wouldn’t be an accurate reflection of my predictable performance. To make this matter more complex, what if the neighbor I cheated off of offered her answers willingly, as she understood and resonated with the week I had?

With this new scenario in mind, it can still be agreed that the new fictitious version of myself is wrong for cheating (after all, he did break the academic policies), but could it be considered ethical towards the person whose work was copied? To grapple with this, one must understand their moral values regarding cheating. For some, any cheating is wrong and unjustifiable; someone with that moral value would believe this version of me is unethical. Conversely, someone who believes cheating can be excused if the person who’s being copied off of is in agreement might feel that fictional me was in the right. This caveat would help the conclusion stand, even if it might still be unethical action towards the professor or institution.

To better understand how a cheating student could be ethical, I invite you to question whether all students are cheating in the same way. Let’s dive deeper into the class neighbor who offered me her answers, we’ll call her Jane. Like myself, Jane is a junior with an A in the class. Where we differ is our external circumstances. Jane lives in her own apartment, gets college paid for by her parents, does not have to work to pay bills, and frequently has her older brother tutor her (let’s even say he is finishing up a PhD in Ethics!). Jane and I are given the same quiz and have the same number of hours each day, but Jane has more freedom to study and prepare for the quiz, while I do not. Could Jane’s extreme freedoms and privileges be considered cheating as well? After all, she has resources (both physically and figuratively) that I do not. Just because those resources do not present themselves in the classroom physically during the quiz does not mean they aren’t giving her an advantage. 

Now, we’re left with two students getting an advantage, Jane and myself, yet to academic standards only one of us is cheating. By looking over at Jane’s answers to save myself from a one-time unfortunate circumstance, I automatically surrender my academic integrity. If I didn’t cheat, I would still be surrendering my grade. No matter my choice, there was no scenario where I truly succeeded. 

Before wrapping up, I’d like to present one last scenario. What if I was able to do my readings as usual and prepare before the quiz? Jane and I both take the quiz, and we both get A’s. I still had to squeeze my readings between working, and had several late nights to make everything fit. Jane still holds the privileges I mentioned earlier. Does one of us deserve the grade more? Would one of us still be considered cheating when pitted against the other? As with most ethical dilemmas, there is no clear answer. 

As the end of the fall semester rapidly approaches, I challenge all readers to think through their understanding of cheating with this (false!) version of myself and Jane in mind. Of course, academic integrity is vital to any higher education institution, but our understanding of how cheating comes to fruition could better guide us to be more compassionate and understanding professors, peers, and neighbors alike.