Is it ever justifiable to lie?
Lying is the act of speaking untruths, or telling false statements. Lying is often generalized as an unacceptable action. However, In certain situations, it is justifiable to lie. For example, a situation may arise where others can get injured if you do not lie; or when the act of lying is authorized by a higher authority like the United States of America. There are many situations where lying can be morally wrong and have a negative effect on yourself or others, but are there ever any situations where lying is justifiable? The act of lying is justifiable in certain cases like when it is necessary in order to protect others, and when it authorized by a higher authority; although some may argue that lying can lead …show more content…
When one is faced with no other options and the only way to escape the situation safely is to tell false statements, it is not morally wrong to lie. An example of a situation like this is during the trials in The Crucible. John Proctor tells Judge Danforth that Abigail Williams is trying to get Elizabeth Proctor hanged. This is due to the fact that Elizabeth kicked her out of the Proctors’ household because she committed lechery with John. Judge Danforth then sends for Elizabeth to question her if this is true. In fear her, and her husband's life, she lies: [Danforth] “Answer my question! Is your husband a lecher! [Elizabeth] No, sir” (Miller, 1208). With Danforth now believing that John is a liar, John says “she has only thought to save my name!” (Miller, 1208). In this instance, Elizabeth only thought to protect herself and John which is why it is justifiable to …show more content…
Certain people believe that regardless of the situation at hand, one should never tell a lie. One argument is that “[t]he more one lies, the more matters one lies about” (Ekman, 1). This can be true in many cases because after a lie is told, other lies may be needed in order to back it up leading to a somewhat slippery slope. Although this can be a negative effect of lying, it does not mean that lying is never justifiable. There are many situations where it is justified to lie and even though lying can have negative effects, it is necessary in some cases. For example, “the truth can sometimes be used cruelly” (Ekman,1) like in a situation where a CEO of a company tells an employee he will never become the CEO. If the truth is not more beneficial than a lie, then it is justified to tell the
Lying is the act of speaking untruths, or telling false statements. Lying is often generalized as an unacceptable action. However, In certain situations, it is justifiable to lie. For example, a situation may arise where others can get injured if you do not lie; or when the act of lying is authorized by a higher authority like the United States of America. There are many situations where lying can be morally wrong and have a negative effect on yourself or others, but are there ever any situations where lying is justifiable? The act of lying is justifiable in certain cases like when it is necessary in order to protect others, and when it authorized by a higher authority; although some may argue that lying can lead …show more content…
When one is faced with no other options and the only way to escape the situation safely is to tell false statements, it is not morally wrong to lie. An example of a situation like this is during the trials in The Crucible. John Proctor tells Judge Danforth that Abigail Williams is trying to get Elizabeth Proctor hanged. This is due to the fact that Elizabeth kicked her out of the Proctors’ household because she committed lechery with John. Judge Danforth then sends for Elizabeth to question her if this is true. In fear her, and her husband's life, she lies: [Danforth] “Answer my question! Is your husband a lecher! [Elizabeth] No, sir” (Miller, 1208). With Danforth now believing that John is a liar, John says “she has only thought to save my name!” (Miller, 1208). In this instance, Elizabeth only thought to protect herself and John which is why it is justifiable to …show more content…
Certain people believe that regardless of the situation at hand, one should never tell a lie. One argument is that “[t]he more one lies, the more matters one lies about” (Ekman, 1). This can be true in many cases because after a lie is told, other lies may be needed in order to back it up leading to a somewhat slippery slope. Although this can be a negative effect of lying, it does not mean that lying is never justifiable. There are many situations where it is justified to lie and even though lying can have negative effects, it is necessary in some cases. For example, “the truth can sometimes be used cruelly” (Ekman,1) like in a situation where a CEO of a company tells an employee he will never become the CEO. If the truth is not more beneficial than a lie, then it is justified to tell the