noun
sense of honor; sense of shame
Formal term for a person's inner moral compass that knows what is honorable and what is shameful. Often used in discussions of ethics, integrity, or public conduct.
政治家には廉恥心が求められる。
Politicians are expected to have a sense of honor.
彼は廉恥心を失い、不正に手を染めた。
He lost his sense of shame and engaged in wrongdoing.
Focuses more on the feeling of shame or embarrassment, whereas 廉恥心 emphasizes an internalized moral standard of honor.
Compound of 廉 (integrity, honesty) and 恥 (shame) with 心 (heart, mind), literally 'heart of integrity and shame'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is a Sino-Japanese coinage expressing a Confucian-influenced moral concept.