Accountability

In this essay I will be writing on the topic of accountability and inherently the responsibility of accountability. In the real root definition of accountability you have responsibility. The two terms are almost synonymous of each other.

In Latin, the word accountability is derived from accomptare, with the literal meaning “to account”. In a prefixed form it stems from computare, “to calculate”. When put into terminology in Ancient Greece and Rome, the two terms were used in money lending systems. One of the first written statements encompassing these terms was the Code of Hammurabi, a story where Hammurabi describes certain undesirable actions and their consequences. Other early examples of these terms can be found in the bible.

Accountability is a more specific concept in ethics. Ethics is a major branch in philosophy. The terms, “the good life” and “living the life worth living” describes the way many philosophers describe ethics as being more important than moral conduct.

All this kind of touches the translation of accountability that the Unites States Army has adopted to be one of the most scrutinized daily aspects of life. Just as early philosophers spoke of money handlers as being “accountable” for the money, soldiers are accountable for their actions. Another example of the adaptation of the term would be morning formation time, when accountability takes place. All soldiers are accountable for the expectation to be at their assigned area at that time.

In the evolution of the term accountability, it all starts with either the expectation or assumption of an account-giving behavior. In short meaning if you do not do what is expected of you or you do something other than what is expected of you, than you will be either reprimanded or in the military term, held accountable.

There are many aspects in the definition of accountability, from terms like answerability to enforcement, and from responsibility to liability. Answerability is most correctly described as being able to explain reasons for your