The Virtues of Accuracy and Sincerity
Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2025 9:18 am
According to Williams’ theory, a commitment to truthfulness entails a respect for the two basic virtues of truth, namely: (a) accuracy and (b) sincerity (see here). In brief, “accuracy” aims at finding out the truth and “sincerity” at telling it. The virtue of accuracy is manifested in objectivity, honesty and industry with which actors try to establish what is true or false. The virtue of sincerity, in their efforts to communicate what they believe to be true and, more generally, to be trustworthy speakers who do not mislead. In this context, Williams observes that asserting what one believes is not generally sufficient for sincerity, if what is asserted is selective and intended to mislead. Of course, this does not mean that all adjustment or reflective thought about what speakers should say is insincerity. However, generally, speakers should communicate what they believe to be true and, more generally, should seek not to mislead.
Williams offers various reasons for which governance institutions ought to respect the virtues of accuracy and sincerity. Firstly, all things being equal, sincerity is a good thing which should be pursued. Moreover, sincerity enables citizens to hold their governance institutions to account which, in turn, is valuable for accountability, legitimacy and against tyranny.
The search for truth, therefore, requires respect for the virtues of accuracy and sincerity. And while Williams delves into what this means in specific cases, this aspect will not be covered here (I expand further on this in my forthcoming book on Histories Written by International Criminal Courts and Tribunals: Developing a Responsible History employment database Framework (TMC Asser Press / Springer)). Rather, the discussion will focus on cases where speakers, such as prosecutors, may be prevented from conducting accurate and sincere investigations because of external pressures. These external pressures may thus impact on the ability of prosecutors to be wholly trustworthy speakers. This would be the case, for instance, where States and/or organisations attempt to shield or exclude particular “sides” to a conflict from being investigated, leading to important exclusions in the search for truth (and the emerging narratives of the conflict). Such a situation arose in the context of the ICTY and the 1999 NATO bombings in the former Yugoslavia (see here).
The ICTY and NATO actions
In July 2000, the ICTY Prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, made public her decision not to initiate a full investigation into NATO’s conduct of the conflict on the basis of the recommendations of an internal report (see here). This report provided, inter alia, a general assessment of NATO’s bombing campaign as well as details of specific incidents. Relying heavily on public documents published by NATO and NATO States, the report recommended that:
[o]n the basis of the information reviewed, however, the committee is of the opinion that neither an in-depth investigation related to the bombing campaign as a whole nor investigations related to specific incidents are justified. In all cases, either the law is not sufficiently clear or investigations are unlikely to result in the acquisition of sufficient evidence to substantiate charges against high level accused or against lower accused for particularly heinous offences. (para. 90)
Williams offers various reasons for which governance institutions ought to respect the virtues of accuracy and sincerity. Firstly, all things being equal, sincerity is a good thing which should be pursued. Moreover, sincerity enables citizens to hold their governance institutions to account which, in turn, is valuable for accountability, legitimacy and against tyranny.
The search for truth, therefore, requires respect for the virtues of accuracy and sincerity. And while Williams delves into what this means in specific cases, this aspect will not be covered here (I expand further on this in my forthcoming book on Histories Written by International Criminal Courts and Tribunals: Developing a Responsible History employment database Framework (TMC Asser Press / Springer)). Rather, the discussion will focus on cases where speakers, such as prosecutors, may be prevented from conducting accurate and sincere investigations because of external pressures. These external pressures may thus impact on the ability of prosecutors to be wholly trustworthy speakers. This would be the case, for instance, where States and/or organisations attempt to shield or exclude particular “sides” to a conflict from being investigated, leading to important exclusions in the search for truth (and the emerging narratives of the conflict). Such a situation arose in the context of the ICTY and the 1999 NATO bombings in the former Yugoslavia (see here).
The ICTY and NATO actions
In July 2000, the ICTY Prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, made public her decision not to initiate a full investigation into NATO’s conduct of the conflict on the basis of the recommendations of an internal report (see here). This report provided, inter alia, a general assessment of NATO’s bombing campaign as well as details of specific incidents. Relying heavily on public documents published by NATO and NATO States, the report recommended that:
[o]n the basis of the information reviewed, however, the committee is of the opinion that neither an in-depth investigation related to the bombing campaign as a whole nor investigations related to specific incidents are justified. In all cases, either the law is not sufficiently clear or investigations are unlikely to result in the acquisition of sufficient evidence to substantiate charges against high level accused or against lower accused for particularly heinous offences. (para. 90)