Everyone as a child has been taught that lying is morally wrong. However, little consideration is taken to determine if a particular lie is in fact unethical. For an instance, suppose a doctor sees that her patient is very depressed and petrified for the outcome of his body checkup, and she knows that the results from the tests clearly shows that he will live for no longer than three months. She may decide to lie to her patient, by telling him he has a fifty-fifty percent chance of living, or by revealing the truth of the results to him. These two measures may be contrasted in terms of: morality of the lie, outcome of the dishonesty, and consequences on the society. .
To determine how ethical deception is, one cannot simply look at the simple facts to make a judgment. Imagine the doctor decides to lie to her patient by stating that he will have a fifty-fifty percent chance of recovering. According to the philosopher, Immanuel Kant's perspective, the lie is undoubtedly immoral because an unethical person stated it. Kant believes that everyone is born with human dignity, and lying contradicts the part of humans that gives one their moral value. So, if a person is known immoral, a lie that they say will also be unethical. However, by telling the truth to the patient, the doctor will fulfill Kant's concept of being moral, purely because she has integrity. A second perception comes from that of utilitarian ethics. From previous knowledge, if the doctor lies to her patient about his condition, she gives him faith. Utilitarian ethics states that because the patient will have hope to carry on with life contently, there is an overall benefit to the lie. Thus, her deceit is ethical. However, from prior awareness, if the doctor was to be honest and disclose the truth of her patient's situation, this may lead him to further grief. Utilitarian ethics believes that since the truth will harm the patient instead of benefit him, it is unethical to reveal the truth.
These people have no idea what they've just done. ... First, the three main groups of liars, or lies, will be explained and examples will be given. ... What's your name?"... Examples: "What? ... More than likely, the lie will come back to haunt you. ...
People lie to themselves and others for various reasons; some lie to make their story more compelling, a few lie to get them out of trouble, and others, such as lawyers, lie because they are accustomed to it. ... The government will probably keep that a secret and cover it up. But as long as they get the job done, the public will be pleased. A famous proverb states it flawlessly;what you don't know can't hurt you.? ... For that sole reason, people have become accustomed to untruthfulness. ...
Whatever profession, hobby, or special interest a person will bring the art of lying into play. ... These people have no idea what they've just done. ... Probably 999 people out of 1000 will admit to lying at least a few times in their life, and the other one person is lying. ... More than likely, the lie will come back to haunt you and then you will have to remember what you said, causing a once small lie to snowball out of control. Next thing you know, you will be lying to cover up your original lies. ...
As children, human beings learn that a simple lie will get you out of trouble or it will help in some kind of way. ... This is what would describe as selfish. ... People, at such a young age, learn that a lie will get you a long way. At these young preschool ages, one also learns that simple lie will not take you a long way, but will also put one in uncompromising positions- usually trouble. ... They begin to experience the negative effects of lying at this point, because punishment for lying becomes a bit more damaging to them. ...
By lying you shut yourself off on what is true. When you continually lie, you lose track of what originally was the truth. ... Lying has become her way of life, and she no longer can recognize the truth. ... I will always think of her words whenever I am put in another situation where I would usually just tell a lie. ... Being truthful and honest cannot make your life perfect, but it will give you a stronger grip as to what the truth is and on reality....
To this day I am still not sure of what that something is. ... Like me, Will probably just needs to be shown what paths lie ahead of him before he makes what he feels is the right choice. ... While viewing the movie, one sees glimpses of what makes Will the way he is but never fully understands what he is feeling or thinking. ... We become contained in a comfort zone that we rarely, if ever, stray from. ... The direction in Will's life becomes clearer to him when he begins to trust and listen to those around him rather than shutting them out. ...
Deliberate lying has become an acceptable practice. ... "We have become desensitized to the enormous significance of lying, the effects are all destructive, generally lowering the level of trust in anything we read or hear," says Karen Peterson in her essay "Would I lie to you?" ... Morality is doing what pleases you. ... Daeg de Mott's article Lying she replies, "If parents and teachers regularly engage in lying, whether "half-truths," "white-lies," or out and out deceptions, our children will learn that lying is acceptable, no matter what adults say." ...
Being a moral person means not doing what comes naturally and usually involves an internal struggle against our wicked desires e.g. lying. ... They tell us what we ought to do. ... If you do nothing the train will go straight on and will run over a baby who has crawled onto the line. ... "A good will is not good because of what it effects or accomplishes it is good through its willing alone, that is good in itself.... Human beings, in Kant's view are not wholly rational but they can strive to become so. ...
Or what is that one lie you have ever regretted telling? ... Lying has become so common in the world that people have found different types of reasons to lie such as to keep themselves out of trouble, to not disappoint others, and to gain personal favors. ... People lie to others because they are scared that they have done something that will disappoint others. Maybe someone has done something to a friend behind their back and they lie so they will not disappoint that certain person. ... People lie to get what they want such as convicts lying to get a job. ...
