Is Lying Wrong?

Lying seems like a straightforward concept, but for my purposes, it could use a quick definition. Using a basis of philosophers running from 300’s to the 2000’s, I propose that that lying, when I refer to it, means a purposeful misleading statement. This statement can be made through body language, verbally, implied by silence, or signaled by radio - any kind statement will do - but the deception must be intentional. On some level the liar must know the facts being conveyed are false; simple, misinformed statements are not truly lying.

With lying well defined, the obvious question is:

Is lying always wrong?

This question has plagued modern ethicists, but has also vexed religions for hundreds of years. Some religions claimed that if statements could be made in one's head that would make a lie true, then it was not actually a lie; the intention in one's head was clear, but misinterpreted by the other party. With this kind of logic I could claim, free of heart, that I do not study engineering, while secretly adding in my head "every night." Certainly it's true that I don't study engineering every night, but anyone told this would rightfully be confused. These kind of exceptions are one, fairly extreme end of the spectrum.

On the other end of the spectrum, St. Augustine, a Catholic monk from the late 300's, wrote prolifically on various moral dilemmas facing the religious faithful and population at large. It's through his writings that we first see the assertion that lying is always wrong, without exception. The Catholic Church is still a strong believer in the sin of lies, continuing to use Augustine's definitions of mortal and venial sins with respect to lies. In other words, Augustine defined a system where all lies are wrong, but some are more wrong then others still persists today.

The thought of all lies being wrong is a bit extreme for today's modern citizen. Several times a day we seem required to do things which are misrepresentations of the truth. We feign interest in the response to "How are you doing?" in order to prevent hurt feelings or prevent future awkward situations. It's almost inconceivable to answer no to simple questions about the quality of a haircut. These are lies oft justified in a daily existence, often not even consciously considered. Although St. Augustine would not agree, the majority of our society today seems to be justifying these lies somehow.

In conflict with the moral high ground of St. Augustine, but towards the middle of the spectrum, is utilitarianism. The basic tenet of utilitarian moral philosophy is to maximize net happiness. Applying this idea to lying, one can easily justify many of the smaller, daily lies, and perhaps some of the larger lies. These lies often save someone else pain, sheltering people from insults which would serve no purpose or maintaining healthy relationships. In the situation above regarding small talk, the lie does no damage to the person, while maximizing future benefit. Everyone seems to benefit from these little lies.

Or so it seems. Although the appearance is that everyone benefits, a few more factors can be taken into account to change the utilitarian conclusion. Perception to others seems to be the reason behind many of these small lies; we wish to appear “good” or “nice” people to others. The behavior mentioned, assuming all goes well, should yield that kind of result, but has the potential to backfire. If the lie recipient ever discovers the lie, the entire act of lying was worse than useless – it could actually be damaging. Not only would the person know your true thoughts, they would also feel betrayed by you, damaging trust, perhaps irreparably. Additionally, if one considers the habit of lying, by telling these small lies, we could be setting ourselves up for larger lies, developing habits that are ultimately bad for our credibility and status. When considered from a utilitarian perspective, the habit of lying or consequences of a revealed lie could tip the scales past neutral to lying producing a net unhappiness. Perhaps lying is never justifiable after all.

Is lying always wrong? If it is, why lie? If it isn’t, when is it right?

This post is based upon readings from Sissela Bok's "Lying : Moral Choice in Public and Private Life", St. Augustine's "To Consentius, Against Lying", and Joseph Margolis' "'Lying is Wrong' and 'Lying is not Always Wrong'".