Cheating and Plagiarism - The Plague of Plagiarism Essay -- Argumenta

The Plague of Plagiarism      Ã‚  Ã‚   Simply defined, the word plagiarism means "the unauthorized use of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own" ("Plagiarism").   While many students understand and comprehend the first clause of this definition, many encounter problems with the second part - the thoughts part.   Many students in today's educational system are frequently unable to develop their own thoughts, opinions, and ideas relating to the subject matter that they are studying.   However, when people at a university are educated according to the ways set forth by John Henry Newman in "The Idea of a University," their ability to create original concepts would be cultivated to the point, where they do not feel the need to plagiarize and cheat.   Newman also states that in the end, the university will produce citizens that can give back to society (48).   Jeffrey Hart makes a similar point in "How to Get a College Education."   Therefo re, according to both Newman and Hart, an honest person will be fashioned by the university.   Since honesty does not breed cheating, should not cheating then be minimized?   Plagiarism and its sister cheating are plagues on society that only serve to corrupt it.   Nevertheless, the education given by a university can diminish and, perhaps, even eradicate the disease by instilling in students,   a sense of honor, and implementing harsh penalties on those caught cheating or plagiarizing.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The fostering of independent thought is sometimes forgone in today's educational system. At times, students are encouraged to just complete their assignment instead of thinking about what they are doing so that they may fully understand their... ... single disease.   So, if universities devote even part of their programs seriously to curing society of this plague, it is quite possible that cheating and plagiarism can be eradicated once and for all.    Works Cited    Clayton, Mark. "A Whole Lot of Cheatin'Going On." The Presence of Others. 3rd ed. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 185 - 190. Hart, Jeffrey. "How to Get a College Education."   The Presence of Others. 3rd ed. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 126 - 131. Newman, John Henry. "The Idea of a University." The Presence of Others. 3rd ed. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 126 - 131. "Plagiarism." Random House Webster's College Dictionary. 2nd ed. 2001. Cedrone 4