The Cardinal Sin

The Mail & Guardian recently ran an article about the alarming rise in apparent and alleged plagiarism cases among prominent writers. The names are among South Afica's leading literary and journalistic lights. But Charlene Smith's piece also hints at an issue we have to keep in mind: The accusation is easy to make. But it is also a very grave charge to levy. The reason articles such as this one are so alarming is precisely because the sin is so great: For writers, and anyone trafficking in ideas, plagiarism is the cardinal sin. One hopes that these kinds of stories serve as a warning and lesson to other writers, but they also do a pretty good job of instilling paranoia -- a false charge is still a charge, and a scrupulous writer can stay awake nights worried that a dropped footnote will lead to charges of intellectual dishonesty and outright theft. Let's also keep in mind that there is a large gap between plagiarism and sloppiness.