is loyalty more important than honesty?

Loyalty is part of Honesty.

Loyalty is your trustworthyness with regard to your commitments to

the individual or group in question at the time, while honesty is

your trustworthyness with regard to society as a whole all the time.

Now, which is more important?

Loyalty would follow honesty. Honesty would be the trait that dictates your judgement on whom you should be loyal to, and whom will stab you in the back for your honesty. Blind loyalty, on the other hand, would be an emotional subserviance to someone who's intentions are flawed. If your loyalty means you are not allowed to question whom you honour, then it is based upon a lie, and is therefore dishonest. Hence, honesty wins over loyalty.

I think it's presumptuous to think that you can determine someone's innocence just because he/she knocked on your door to hide. Unless, the local police in your district has a reputation for going on wild goose chases after innocent people, I would let the police handle that. Who knows, for all you know, it could be a serial killer!

in theory it is very compicated.

in practice the person- area you are living in and other circumstances will dictate and each person has his own way to act. Protecting a total stranger is not loyalty so telling the police is probably the role of a better citizen in theroy.

If you had enron management as your boss and auditors question you? go for honesty.

If your wife lied to your neighbor and you need to choose? go for loyalty.

enjoy

If I had chosen to hide the man I would lie to the policeman, if I had not I would answer the policeman honestly. In the example you give there is not enough information to formulate any kind of reasoned response.

Typical question it depends what kind of a person he is , i mean if he is running away frm police. He is the culpret but it depends if he is 17,18 yrs old guy i wil save him. In other case tel the police

There is no loyalty among strangers. I would never let someone from off the streets into my home to begin with.

Depends what that person was like.

If you don't know them you can't judge their character and I would likely turn them in.

If they were a friend then I probably wouldn't turn them in.

Regarding the subject line though.

I don't think you can be loyal without being honest.

I don't like cops so this is easy for me to answer. I'd hide my friend and lie to the cops. Why? Cuz that's what friends are for.

Sometimes, yes. Sometimes honesty only ends up hurting people (like your example), and that's not moral, imo.