A graduate of Hampshire College with a Ph.D. in politics from Princeton University, Callahan has written for publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and USA Today. The latest of his five books is called "The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead, a study of the decline in moral integrity in American society."
Callahan started his presentation with a quote from the late football coach Vince Lombardi. "Winning is not everything, it is the only thing," he said. "This facetious maxim has become America's motto." The Enron, WorldCom and Tyco scandals emerged around the time that Callahan was finishing "The Cheating Culture." These corruption scandals led Callahan to question what had gone wrong with corporate America.
In his lecture, Callahan delved into the corruption present in every aspect of American culture. He analyzed the presence of dishonesty in areas ranging from sports to medicine to academics.
Surprisingly, Callahan stressed that a startlingly high number of dishonest acts are committed by people who consider themselves to be honest. "A great many people just live with contradictions when it comes to integrity," he said. "Most people don't want to admit how wide the chasm is in their moral lives."
Callahan gave four reasons for the increase of corruption in American culture. First, the temptation to cheat has increased as the national income gap has widened. In a winner-take-all society, the rewards for cheating to get to the top are even greater. He also said that the demands of working life and the tasks necessary to gain the rewards have increased. "Even as the carrots have grown bigger, the sticks of economic life are hitting harder and harder," he said.
Also, Callahan mentioned the lack of "watchdogs" in society. There is less motive to act honestly when people know they can get away with cheating. In addition, Callahan said it is usually the cheaters at the top who are least punished. "If the most successful people in society get away with cheating, more people wonder why they shouldn't, as well," he said.
Finally, Callahan addressed the way in which our culture's focus on money has altered our morals. "America … has become increasingly enthralled with wealth and status. Our net worth is considered our personal worth," he said. "This money culture has changed ... our values."
Callahan clarified that the reasons people cheat do not justify the presence of cheating in American society. "I don't think we can make up our own morality. If we do that, we're lost," he said. "This is just to provide some insight."
At the close of his speech, Callahan shared his vision for an improved America. He spoke of a society where anyone who engages in dishonesty is held accountable. In addition, he mentioned the importance of everyone having a say in what the rules are and how they are made.
Reaction to the lecture was generally positive. "It just made me feel like it's gotten increasingly competitive in America to the point that people feel they have to cheat just in order to compete," said Philip Smith '08.
Manpriya Samra, a student from Mount Holyoke College, was glad to hear a frank discussion about cheating. "Who talks about cheating these days? Not many people," she said. "I am glad that I got the opportunity [to hear Callahan speak]."
The primary message of Callahan's presentation reiterated a sentiment that is already in the ethos of every American: We want to succeed because we are good at what we do, not because we're dishonest.
Callahan acknowledged the immense difficulty of attempting to reverse the moral decline in American society. However, he is hopeful that such a reversal will take place. "I do agree that this problem reflects deeply embedded problems in our society and culture," he admitted. "That said, I am optimistic about the potential change."