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Truthtelling and the “Liar’s Paradox”

Truthtelling and the “Liar’s Paradox”. Epimenides the Cretan once stated: “All Cretans are liars!” (Was he telling the truth?) Mark Twain: “None of us could live with an habitual truth teller; but, thank goodness, none of us has to.”. The “true” liar’s paradox seems to be this:

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Truthtelling and the “Liar’s Paradox”

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  1. Truthtelling and the “Liar’s Paradox” • Epimenides the Cretan once stated: “All Cretans are liars!” (Was he telling the truth?) • Mark Twain: “None of us could live with an habitual truth teller; but, thank goodness, none of us has to.”

  2. The “true” liar’s paradox seems to be this: • we believe, as a default position, that lying is always wrong • BUT we tend to believe that lying is sometimes excusable, occasionally permissible, and rarely, even obligatory (to prevent some great harm or injury)

  3. Utilitarianism and Truthtelling • an act of truthtelling is RIGHT if (and only if) the good consequences outweigh the bad • an act of lying is WRONG only when the bad consequences outweigh the good • This seems to be the wrong explanation of why lying is wrong • but perhaps a correct clue about when there might be exceptions or excuses to the rule against lying

  4. Absolutism from St. Augustine to Kant • Lying is ALWAYS wrong. No excuses, no exceptions. CI3 -- Kingdom of Ends: legislative inconsistency and incoherence CI1 -- Universal Law: “free rider status” CI2 -- Respect for Persons: deception as betrayal, use of deceived as a means merely to achieve the liar’s own self-serving ends

  5. “Principle of Veracity” lying always requires a reason, a justification; truth-telling does not. • Generally true. But . . . is this always true? • Need to define: EXCUSES; BLAMEWORTHINESS Presumably it might at least be EXCUSABLE, to tell a lie when one or more of the following conditions is met:

  6. prevent great HARM (a murderer in search of their intended victim) • bring about some great BENEFIT (LtCOL North’s appeal; physician concealing or misrepresenting medical diagnosis to a patient)

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