Truth, Lie or consequences
The actual state of the matter, a lie is always destructive.
If everyone were morally allowed to tell lies to avoid what is difficult to say
then everyone would lie and no one would believe anything that was said and
lies would no longer be effective. Lies start a chain reaction that removes
trust and confidence in the individual who tells the lie. However people only
have a right to their truth according to Kant’s view on the right to lie. If a known
murderer knocks on ones’ door and questions them about the whereabouts of an
intended victim is it their right to the truth of where that person is? In my
opinion it is not depending on the circumstances according to the laws that
govern them.
I agree with your view point. Lies, even if well intentioned, can have harmful consequences for other people. For the recipiant of the lie, it unfairly destorts their perception of the reality of a situation. No one has the right to asign to themselves the power of deciding if another human being has the right to truth.
ReplyDeleteAs a parent, the two things I have always told my kids that I will come down hardest on are lying and attitude. My reasoning is this: You can have all the money in the world but if your word means nothing, then you have nothing. Your word is your honor and once you lose that by lying, trust takes a long time to rebuild. As for attitude, you can be super smart but no one will want to work with you or hang out with you if you have a crappy attitude. You can make up for intellect through study and training but you can't make up for the damage caused by negativity, rudeness of actions, or hurtful words.