Philosopher’s and common people alike have been divided on the subject of lying for many, many years. St. Thomas Aquinas defined lying as a statement at variance with the mind. (Slater) This definition is better than most of the definitions we find from more recent times. The Webster’s New World Dictionary defines lying as the following: to make a statement or statements that one knows to be false, especially with the intent to deceive. This definition isn’t completely correct, as it is possible to lie without making a false statement and without the intention of deceiving. Aristotle in his Ethics maintained that it is never permissible to lie, while Plato in The Republic allows doctors and statesmen to lie occasionally for

Finally, the biggest platform that lying has become a part of is Politics. From Richard Nixon’s “I am not a crook” proclamation to William Clinton’s “I did not have sexual relations with that woman” we have been subjected to many lies from those who are running our country. We cannot take for granted the altruism or the good judgement of those who lie to us. No matter the benefit for us that they intend. We have learned from experience that much deceit for private gain masquerades as being done for the public good. We have also learned how deception, even when used for an unselfish motive, corrupts and proliferates. (Bok 169) As political leaders become accustomed to making such excuses, they grow insensitive to fairness and sincerity. Some politicians come to believe that any lie can be told as long as they can convince themselves that it is for the public good. From that point it is not too far off from the conclusion that, even if people will not benefit from a certain lie, they will benefit by all maneuvers to keep the right people in office. “Once public servants lose their bearings in this way, all the tricks of Watergate--the fake telegrams, the erased tapes, the elaborate cover-ups, the bribing of witnesses to make them lie, the televised pleas for trust--become possible.” (Bok 173) Political lies, which are considered so trivial by those who tell them, rarely are. It is impossible for something to be trivial when it affects a nation of people. Deceiving a nation that depends on you to make decisions for them is not right. It jeopardizes the trust that a society must have to function. Without trust a society is destined to fail. I believe that politicians should tell the truth in all situations that involve the public and it’s affairs. I don’t see a problem with the “white lies” of politics, such as pretending to have a good time at an embassy gathering or a political rally, or toasting the longevity of a doubtful regime. !

the good of their patients and for the common wealth. Kant allowed a lie under absolutely no conditions. (Slater) St. Augustine created a doctrine used by the Western Church proving it is never lawful to tell a lie. He maintained an early absolutist philosophy based on the fact that lying is a perversion of the God-given power of speech. Machiavelli has a utilitarian approach to lying in that he believes lies can be justified by asserting that great things may be achieved by those who have little regard for the truth. (Dickey) No consensus has been reached, and the issue of lying has become a personal opinion. There isn’t a set law on lying, and one person may feel that lying is abominable act, when another may regard it as simple a way of life.

Lying in medicine is also a wide spread phenomenon. It is common to tell lies to the terminally ill with the intent to help them. It is believed that it makes their demise more comfortable, and easy to accept. In reality, all it gives these people is false hope. What doctors reveal, hold back, or distort makes a world of difference to their patients. They struggle with the dilemma of not wanting to cause them confusion, needless pain or discomfort, and hopelessness. A physician is given a large amount freedom on the subject of telling the patient as much or as little as he desires them to know. The doctor’s choice to lie involves all his coworkers in his web of deception as well. The doctor only makes a few brief visits a day, as compared to the nurses who are with the patients the rest of the time. The nurses may not agree with the action of lying taken by the doctor, but they must go along with it. It has always been easy to lie to the terminally ill. They are very vulnerable, and the least likely to take action in researching what they have been told. In order to correct the commonplace action of withholding information from patients, bills of rights for patients

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