A UK-based independent worldwide fellowship
On 14 November 2014, Professor Martin Albrow, Founding and Past Honorary President of the Global China Academy (GCA), launched his new book Integrity: The Rise of a Distinctive Western Idea and Its Destiny at Hatchards, London. Published by Polity, the book offers a profound historical and sociological exploration of integrity as a defining value of Western civilization and its relevance in contemporary public life.
In the book, Albrow traces the idea of integrity from its origins in ancient Greece and Rome—where it signified unity through values and adherence to external standards—through Christianity, the Renaissance, and into the modern era. He argues that today’s public life is marked by a troubling paradox: while integrity is widely demanded, political leaders can often succeed without embodying it, creating what he terms a new “politics of the integrity vacuum.”
Albrow concludes that although integrity emerged as a distinctive Western concept, it has become a shared global concern. He calls for a renewal of integrity through dialogue with non-Western wisdom, emphasizing the need to rebuild honesty, trust, and reliability in public and social life. The launch event at Hatchards brought together scholars, publishers, and friends to celebrate a work that speaks directly to some of the most pressing ethical and political challenges of our time.
