In “The Death of Honesty,” William Damon raises concerns that the current apathy toward increasing dishonesty threatens democracy. In this essay from the online volume “Endangered Virtues” published by the Hoover Institute in 2012, Damon initially admits that there are situations in which lying might be considered acceptable. However, once this is recognized, he moves on to the main premise that honesty is losing its importance in society and will lead to its downfall, and cites examples in politics, law, journalism and business in contemporary society where it is expected dishonesty, and even, condoned. Damon finally directs his observations pointedly at the teachers and current students who agree to cheat in school. To persuade his audience of college students and academic scholars, Damon uses many rhetorical tools and styles including classical logos, pathos and ethos, and allusions to make an ethical appeal regarding the need for honesty. In his essay, Damon uses logos in an attempt to convince his audience of the virtue of honesty. Damon recognizes that lying may be justifiable in certain circumstances to avoid greater harm, and is even expected in others, such as politics (par. 2, 4). He then argues that “(no) civilization can tolerate… dishonest communication without collapsing” and that society expects all parties to participate with honest intentions (para. 5). He continues to develop his argument by alluding to historical references including the Roman goddess, Veritas, Confucius, and the Old Testament of the Bible, as well as Abe Lincoln and George Washington as examples of honesty (par. 6). He notes that current political, legal, journalistic, and corporate leaders are routinely…middle of the paper…is a line of rhetorical argument. William Damon uses the classic rhetorical devices of logos, pathos, and ethos to convince his audience of the urgency of addressing the decline of honesty. It provides a balanced assessment of the need for discretion in specific circumstances, the expectation of lying leading to the decline of honesty, and the total acceptance of cheating without consequences. Alluding to historical attitudes regarding honesty, Damon provides extensive background to support his thesis. His essay successfully evokes a response to the current situation of declining honesty and creates an urgent call to action to restore the virtue of honesty. As a society, the public would likely agree with Damon that the virtue of honesty is critical to the success of democracy, and we would wish to espouse the protection of this imperiled virtue..