Augustine: On Lying Analysis

Augustine: "On Lying"

• Lying is a false statement made with the intent to deceive.
• A lie, in its strictest sense, is a statement contrary to what the speaker knows, with the intent to deceive someone who has a right to the truth.
• The Standard Analysis conditions for lying include: the speaker believes the statement is false, and the speaker intends to deceive the listener about the truth of the statement.
• Augustine acknowledges the conditions of the Standard Analysis as sufficient conditions for determining a lie. However, he does not insist that all three conditions be present for an act to be considered a lie..
• Augustine's treatise is comparable to Plato's aporietic dialogues, characterized by arriving at a state of puzzlement and impasse (aporia).
• Lying is considered morally wrong because it is an abuse of the capacity for communication.
• Moralists do not typically advocate for lying as a standard practice.

Ethical Standpoint: Arguments on Lying

• Lying, sometimes referred to as a formal or strict lie, is defined as a morally wrong act.
• Lying is considered morally wrong because it represents an abuse of the natural ability of communication.

Occasions for Lying

• Lying may be justified if it serves a greater good for society, such as saving an innocent life or averting war.
• Moral permissibility of certain actions carries over to the means (speech) used to execute them.
• The benefits of lying can outweigh the truth's value in specific circumstances.

Kant's Perspective on Lying

• Hiding a friend from a murderer with a lie is considered less evil than letting the murderer harm or kill the friend.
• Idolatry of principle in refusing to lie in such cases can be more harmful to society than the potential harm caused by the lie.

Lie Versus Deception

• A lie relies on common symbols of communication (speech), whereas other forms of deception might depend on actions open to misinterpretation.
• Lies and subtle forms of deception might be treated differently in terms of morality depending on the context.
• A person may be allowed to lie in very limited social situations, for example, for self-defense. The means of self-defense should match the means of attack; repelling force with force is acceptable but a lie shouldn't be used to oppose another lie.

Telling the Truth

• Individuals are owed the truth when speaking seriously and respectfully.
• An individual loses this right only when circumstances dictate a justifiable withholding of information (e.g., when silence is unfeasibility).
• Emotion might be withheld and not expressed, which is considered suppression of the truth.

Dishonesty in Emotional Expression

• Pretending to feel emotions that are not experienced is a form of dishonest expression with far-reaching effects, equally harmful as hiding the truth.
• Habitual deception about emotions impacts the ability to differentiate truth from falsity and leads to self-deception.

Conventionality of Speech

• Communication goes beyond spoken words; it encompasses various forms of communication including looks, gestures, nods, winks, verbal intonation, even the moment of vocalisation itself.
• Signs are communicative elements.
• A sign needs to have a purposeful conveyable meaning by the person/sender.
• Communication must be directed to another person.

Aquinas's Views on Lying

• Lying is a violation of natural law and a misuse of human communication capabilities.
• Society depends on trust and honesty; the allowance of pervasive lying makes the reliability of communication impossible.
• Lying undermines the dignity of the individual by treating the recipient's intellect as a tool for the deceiver's benefit.