John Gerken

Youth and Integrity: Critical Thinking for Jr. and Sr. High School Students John Gerken

This essay, critiqued and praisedby high school students and developed to inculcate integrity,¿ is unique in two ways:¿ First¿it is short and can be taught in ten to fifteen class periods¿¿ Second, it seeks to convince by reasonrather than impress by rhetoric, anecdote, and authority.¿ The fundamental lesson taught is this:¿ The person is open to, made for, thereception of evidence and communication with the other human being.¿ Conversely the violation of integrity¿ is to deny evidence or push it to meanwhat¿ it does not mean, and to closeoneself off from the neighbor.¿ The lie,(rationalization) not money, is the root of all evil.¿ Integrity is the root of all personal peace.