Skip to main content

Describe under what circumstances, if any, is it permissible to lie. Under what circumstances, if any, do you think it might be preferable to lie? What do your answers indicate about the justification of the nearly universal principle that one ought not to lie?

Emmanuel Kant German philospher said that lying was, without exception, always wrong and that we have a moral duty to tell the truth. When posed with a dilemma in which we might be tempted to lie, he said we are still obligated to do the right thing, even if we think doing the wrong thing would produce better results.

The traditional example is of a serial murderer showing up at your front door and demanding to know the location of your family so he can kill them. You know full well that you just sent them out the back door, and most people could probably convince themselves that because they do not know the technically “exact” location, saying “I don’t know” would not be telling a lie.

Additionally, you reason that because he is a murderer, you have no real obligation to help him kill your family by telling the truth; so, you lie to him and say, “I don’t know.”

Unable to complete his plans, he leaves and is headed back to the sidewalk—just as your family is coming around the house. And, he kills them all. Had you told the murderer that the family went out the back door, that would have bought them the time they needed to escape as he ran through the house.

According to Kant, you are now responsible for their deaths because you did the wrong thing. Had you done the right thing, even if your family died, it would not have been your fault. Your lie made you morally responsible for their deaths.

Respond

Unless being honest would land you in jail, please truthfully discuss the following questions:

  1. Describe under what circumstances, if any, is it permissible to lie. Under what circumstances, if any, do you think it might be preferable to lie? What do your answers indicate about the justification of the nearly universal principle that one ought not to lie?

  2. A hungry cannibal chieftain looks you over and declares that you will indeed make a fine dinner. Using some of the ideas from our readings, what can you say to the cannibal chieftain to convince him that cooking you would be morally wrong? (Convincing him that you won’t taste good is not enough to keep you out of the cooking pot.)

  3. No plagiarism


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Should pit bull terriers be banned in my community

 Discussion Forum: Counterarguments (Should pit bull terriers be banned in my community) You created a question about the topic for your W6 Rough Draft. For this discussion, you will give an answer to that question in the form of a thesis statement. "Dieting Makes People Fat" Main Post: Share your thesis statement with your classmates. Please note: As with last week’s discussion, nothing here is set in stone. Be open to changing everything about your topic, including your position and audience, as you research it and get feedback from your classmates. Topic + Position/Purpose + Supporting Points =Thesis Statement Example: Suppose the question you posed in the Week 5 discussion was something like, “Should pit bull terriers be banned in my community?” After doing some preliminary research, you have concluded that pit bulls, if raised properly, are no more dangerous than other breeds of dogs. Your thesis statement can be something like, “Pitbulls should not be banned
Post a Comment
Read more

Controversy Associated With Dissociative Disorders

 Assignment: Controversy Associated With Dissociative Disorders The  DSM-5-TR  is a diagnostic tool. It has evolved over the decades, as have the classifications and criteria within its pages. It is used not just for diagnosis, however, but also for billing, access to services, and legal cases. Not all practitioners are in agreement with the content and structure of the  DSM-5-TR , and dissociative disorders are one such area. These disorders can be difficult to distinguish and diagnose. There is also controversy in the field over the legitimacy of certain dissociative disorders, such as dissociative identity disorder, which was formerly called multiple personality disorder. In this Assignment, you will examine the controversy surrounding dissociative disorders. You will also explore clinical, ethical, and legal considerations pertinent to working with patients with these disorders. Photo Credit: Getty Images/Wavebreak Media To Prepare · Review this week’s Learning
Post a Comment
Read more

CYBER SECURITY and how it can impact today's healthcare system and the future

 Start by reading and following these instructions: Create your Assignment submission and be sure to cite your sources, use APA style as required, and check your spelling. Assignment: Recommendations Document Due Week 6 (100 pts) Main Assignment Recommendations Document The 1250 to 1500-word deliverable for this week is an initial draft of your recommendations. Note that this is a working document and may be modified based on insights gained in module eight and your professor's feedback. This document should contain the following elements: Summary of your problem or opportunity definition A list of possible recommendation alternatives. In this section, you are not yet at the point of suggesting the best set of recommendations but you are trying to be creative and explore all the different ways that the problem or opportunity might best be addressed. The end result here will be a list of alternatives among which you will choose your final recom
Post a Comment
Read more