The ethics of lying: Some argue that lies are justified when truth would gratuitously cause or heighten conflict. What justifies the lie is the benefit of its outcome; if more good than harm flows from its telling, it is justified. German philosopher and moral absolutist Immanuel Kant believed that lying is always wholly unacceptable. He based this on his general principle that we should treat each human being as an end in itself, and never as a mere means. As a deontologist, he focused on the motives or reasons behind action rather than its consequences. The consequentialist view, by contrast, argues that moral value lies not in our actions but in their consequences. Utilitarianist John Stewart Mill argued that we should always aim at ensuring the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people and that, for instance, telling a lie in particular circumstances is good if telling that lie produces good consequences. Sometimes a lie, a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive, seems the perfect response: A brother lies about his sister’s where-abouts to the drunken husband threatening to harm her, a doctor tells a depressed patient that he has a 50-50 chance of long-term recovery when she is confident he’ll live only six months, a son gives his late mother’s estate to the poor after promising to honor her demand that the money be placed in her coffin. When trying to do the right thing in a difficult situation, perfect honesty may seem second best next to values like compassion, respect, and justice. Yet many philosophical and religious traditions have long claimed that rarely, if ever, is a lie permissible. These would all be considered noble lies. Mazur suggests that the brother is motivated by compassion for his sister’s physical safety. The doctor knows that her patient could likely fall deeper into depression, but with the hope of recovery will most likely cherish his remaining time. The son knows his mother would ask someone else to settle her affairs if he declared his true intentions; the money would be wasted or stolen, and the poor would be denied an opportunity to benefit. What about white lies, the kind one tells to avoid offending someone? Is it necessary to be brutally honest when giving your opinion about the quality of a haircut or the attractiveness of an outfit? Or is withholding some truth justified if it would save that person pain and insult which would serve no purpose? Most of us wish to appear “good” and “nice” and to maintain healthy relationships with others. Yet if our lack of honesty were discovered, we would likely lose credibility and trust. And perhaps we are doing someone a disservice by being “nice,” when they truly want or need an honest opinion.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Oct 2013 21:52:48 +0000
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