Can a lie ever be good?

From this perspective, some lies can be good and others can be bad, depending on their outcomes. If a lie produces a good, it is good, moral, and allowable. If it produces harm, it is bad, immoral, and not allowable.

Are there times when telling a lie is justifiable or even necessary?

The liar and the authorizing agent believe lying is justified, necessary to do the job, although the employer may not always respect the liar for doing so. Many lies are opportunistic, not authorized by anyone. The target of the lie often trusts the liar, not expecting to be misled.

Is lying forgivable?

If you sense you’re being betrayed or even catch your partner in a lie, speak up. A little white lie is forgivable, but a big, mean lie is not and you may need to reconsider the relationship or seek therapy.

What is the purpose of a lie?

The lie, once a liberal means of communication, has today become one of the techniques of insolence enabling each individual to spread around him the glacial atmosphere in whose shelter he can thrive.” “Regardless of how far a person runs, a lie will eventually catch up to them.”

How do different theories of ethics approach lying?

Different theories of ethics approach lying in different ways. In grossly over-simplified terms, those who follow consequentialist theories are concerned with the consequences of lying and if telling a lie would lead to a better result than telling the truth, they will argue that it is good to tell the lie.

What is the difference between deception and lying?

Lying is a form of deception, but not all forms of deception are lies. Lying is giving some information while believing it to be untrue, intending to deceive by doing so. A lie has three essential features:

Is it wrong to tell the first lie?

If 10 lies are worse than 1 lie then it would seem to be a good thing to tell the first lie, but if lying is always wrong then it’s wrong to tell the first lie… Nobody who writes about lying nowadays can do so without acknowledging an enormous debt to this groundbreaking book: Lying: Moral choice in public and private life, by Sisela Bok, 1978.