Honestly I do not think that there is any good or OK form of lying in any circumstance. Also lying is, I think, more of a spectrum that never touches good. Lauren's example of lying to get out of a situation where your "friends" (used in the loosest possible sense, because these really wouldn't be friends) want you to do something illegal (assumed to be unjust) is on the better side of this spectrum; however, there is always something better that could be done. Simply refusing would be the best option and also the hardest. If you think about it; however, the better (morally) something is, often, the harder it is. Let me know in the comments if you disagree with any of this and why.
As for the question: "Is honesty really a better thing than deception? ... [D]oes our culture truly teach that it is?" I think that in the early days of America we really did. For example the quote, "Honesty is the best policy" and the story of Washington and the cherry tree both showed honesty to be an honorable trait. Also in court people had to swear with their hand on the Bible. Now we show that lying is bad because of natural consequences, but we seldom show that honesty is good even if it gains you nothing personally. We have also watered down the the oath that is sworn in court so that we are not ever swearing by anything. There is no reason for non-religious people to feel bound be the oath except for the perception of how much risk they have of getting caught. For people who have philosophically reasoned that society can not function without some honesty, there is the hope they will honor the oath because they realize that honesty is good.
This really wasn't mentioned in the topic, but there are some situations where the definition of a lie might not apply. eg. jokes and others.
In terms of the cultural acceptance of lying: I agree in principle, though I find it interesting that we teach honesty with a story that is apocryphal -- and thus untrue (Washington never chopped down a cherry tree and proclaimed his inability to lie -- it's a nice fable we use to teach the value of honesty. Nothing wrong with finding truth through fiction, but interesting that we cannot find an actual example, one from our own lives, since most of us have had to make this decision between truth or lying, and have learned from it.).
ReplyDeleteAs for the matter of swearing an oath in court, let me respond with a quote.
". . . What other bond
Than secret Romans that have spoke the word
And will not palter? And what other oath
Than honesty to honesty engaged,
That this shall be, or we will fall for it?
Swear priests and cowards and men cautelous,
Old feeble carrions and such suffering souls
That welcome wrongs. Unto bad causes swear
Such creatures as men doubt."
This is Brutus, speaking to the conspirators in Act II of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. What this says, in essence, is that an oath is simply a means of enforcing someone's promise; if one were truly honest, no oath would ever be necessary. Personally, I find oaths somewhat offensive. It's why I disagree with the Pledge of Allegiance being repeated every week in school. Among other examples.