Emmanuel Kant and Lying

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Emmanuel Kant's philosophy on lying and compares it to the philosophy of utilitarianism. It describes Kant's categorical imperative and how it can be utilized in a situation that may involve lying. The paper presents a case where there is a question of whether to lie or not and discusses the possible philosophies of how to deal with the dilemma.

From the Paper:

"At first, utilitarianism seems perfect for resolving such a dilemma. The problem is that the utilitarian is focused only on happiness, and happiness in this dilemma is false. The person's happiness also is just temporary and will end sooner or later, anyway. For a person who is faced with such a dilemma, the most helpful idea is Kant's categorical imperative. The reason is that it shows a practical point about human beings. It is not always wrong to lie because sometimes the truth is as bad as or worse than the lie. The only way to make a decision is to ask whether what we will do should be done by all individuals who happen to be faced with the same dilemma. When we are faced with an impossible or really difficult situation, then the categorical imperative provides a means to deal with that dilemma."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Kessler, Gary E. Voices of Wisdom. Bakersfield, CA: California State University, 2007.

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