Why Lying is Wrong: An Ethical Perspective

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the morality and ethics behind lies. It bases its discussion on three different sources, which are attached in the appendix. The paper states that although there is nearly universal agreement in human societies that lying is wrong, most people instinctively know that they should not tell lies, but they do not really understand the ethics-based foundation of why lying is wrong. A close examination leads the paper to the conclusion that while lying is ethically and morally wrong in most conceivable cases, there do seem to be conditions and circumstances in which lying is not wrong.

From the Paper:

"Ultimately, examining these different ethical perspectives on lying and taking into account various contributing factors indicates that while lying is ethically and morally wrong in most conceivable cases, there do seem to be conditions and circumstances in which lying is not wrong. Some philosophers have argued that it even appears to be the case that in relatively rare circumstances, not lying would be morally and ethically wrong. But these are exceptions to the prevailing ethical and moral standard that lying is wrong."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Lying." BBC. Online. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/ethics/lying /lying_1.shtml. 25 July 2007.
• Mazur, Tim C. "Lying." Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. Online. Available:
• http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v6n1/lying.html. 25 July 2007.
• Slater, Ted. "A Brief Consideration of the Ethics of Lying." Online. Available: http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:PJoC0CkXafQJ:www.ijot.com/papers/slater_ethics_of_lying.pdf+lying+and+ethics&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us&client=firefox-a. 25 July 2007.

More papers on Why Lying is Wrong: An Ethical Perspective:

• Analytical Essay # 134369 : "Why Lying Is Wrong: An Ethical Perspective"
• Argumentative Essay # 129640 : "Crime of Compassion: Why Euthanasia Is Wrong"
• Case Study # 100808 : "Is Boeing an Ethical Company?"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: