salparadise Posted July 11, 2013 Posted July 11, 2013 There are people on LS who believe it is, without qualification, unethical to tell anything less than the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. They promote this absolutist ethical standard irrespective of situation or outcome, and often condemn anyone whose perception is that shades of gray nearly always exist between black and white. My belief is that ethics are relative, not absolute. Everyone lies. That's a fact that is not hard to prove (no interest in debating it); yes even absolutists lie, probably multiple times per day. Most of the great philosophers have dealt with the issues of truth, deception, self-delusion and the nature of reality (as perceived by humans). Psychologists generally recognize little white lies as essential social lubrication. There are times when the truth will cause substantial pain, accomplish nothing, and still absolutists will stand on the principle of literal truth only. Lawrence Kohlberg dealt with ethical issues in psychology and highlighted the quandaries through a series of hypothetical situations called ethical dilemmas (B&W thinkers, please read). Pascal said, "Abuse of truth ought to be as much punishment as the introduction of falsehood." The typical discussion on LS revolve around whether or not to voluntarily confess, and in the most recent thread, about whether a woman should tell her fiancee' the truth about him having the smallest penis she's ever had. But the larger principle seems infinitely more complex and interesting, so let's not get stuck on specific instances. This thread is for discussion of how we decide where to draw the line. Please describe your thin-line theoretical definition of what is allowable or excusable vs. what is decidedly unethical, and perhaps a brief example of a marginal ethical dilemma in which it's best NOT to tell the truth or the whole truth. If you're an absolutist, this thread is obviously intended to encourage thought about complexity in the gray area, not to elicit a diatribe––so just post one word if you must, "absolutist," and everyone will know exactly where you stand on the topic. Here are some links, likely of interest to those who are drawn to issues of ethical complexity: Pamela Meyer, TED Talk Jeff Hancock TED Dan Ariely TED Forbes - when not to tell the truth at work Oprah - knowing when
Philosoraptor Posted July 11, 2013 Posted July 11, 2013 I always tell the truth, but I minimalize as much pain as possible. Even when the truth will hurt, it needs to be told. 1
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