A Promise made is a Debt unpaid, but what about Oaths?

Abstract

"I swear the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth", this line has a place in any courtroom. Yet, why do we only accept witness statements as evidence after this oath has been made? Clearly, oaths hold some kind of solemn weight that demands trust. In this thesis I will look into the courtroom oath as a case study, in order to dive into the question whether oaths might be self-directed. I will discuss how we may distinguish oaths from their less weighty counterparts promises, where obligation within the courtroom oath originates from, and finally discuss the kind of obligation that an oath creates. This thesis will conclude that oaths are inherently self-directed as they are based upon one's self-respect and failing them leads to a loss of this self-respect which in turn affects one's identity. Swearing an oath then has a vastly different purpose than making a promise. Promises are contractual obligations and oaths are a way of proving that one is a trustworthy, authentic, and honourable person. This means that promises exist in a moral sphere, yet oaths exist within an ethical sphere, and thus I will conclude that promises produce moral obligation whereas oaths produce ethical obligation.