Lecture 1 Ethics
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| 8: February 4, 2020 Further Considerations The Problem of Lying Benjamin Constant Kant asserts it would be a crime to lie to a murderer at your door looking for the person hiding in your house. Kant’s reply on a supposed right to lie from altruistic motives Each man has not only aright but even the strict duty to be truthful in statements he cannot avoid making, whether they harm himself or others…it is an unconditional duty which holds in all circumstances Still have to tell the truth “the definition of a lie…” a lie is a lie, and it doesn’t matter if the lie harms or not. You maybe doing harm to your friend, but you did not wrong your friend. How are you → fine → still a lie, even it if didn’t harm anyone. A lie always harms even if it’s humankind that is harmed by all lies. It was only an accident that the truth of the statement harmed the occupant of the house → Mill would have you look at the consequences of your actions. Kant doesn’t care about consequences more about acting on principle of acting on respect of people’s rationality. Are you acting on principle – lying dehumanizes people, so you don’t do it. Once you takeaway rationality you are taking away the humanity once you remove it there is nothing left, just like an animal “Unite the Right Rally Mayor & governor did not want rally to go ahead freedom of speech. Do you still stand behind the principle, even if bad things happen. When principles come in conflict → freedom from bodily harm trumped freedom of speech after someone was harmed. Kant doesn’t allow a case by case decision, like this. Download 0.65 Mb. Share with your friends:
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