This work analyzes the causes and effects of corruption, and mechanisms for sanctioning it. It establishes an overarching understanding of the phenomenon applicable to both the public and private sectors, understanding corruption as the diversion of a public good through the misuse of a position of trust to obtain a benefit beyond those legitimately derived from that position. Under this understanding, corruption is not implicitly associated with the State or with public officials. Its social origins stem from illegitimate practices that are tolerated within families and then more widely disseminated thanks to cognitive reinforcement in contexts including education, work, and interpersonal relations. In contrast to long-standing dogma, public corruption is not seen as an antecedent to private corruption. On the contrary, many unethical practices in society have gradually found their way into governing structures. This work seeks to demystify the phenomenon of corruption and to define it as a latent risk in any public or private social organization rather than a stigma applied to specific individuals.