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Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) proposed that there are no conceivable circumstances in which lying is morally acceptable. He argued that morality is rooted in our capacity to make free, rational choices and that lying is, in effect, an assault on morality because it aims to undermine this capacity.
Feb 23, 2004 · Kant’s Moral Philosophy. First published Mon Feb 23, 2004; substantive revision Fri Jan 21, 2022. Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) argued that the supreme principle of morality is a principle of practical rationality that he dubbed the “Categorical Imperative” (CI).
- Robert Johnson, Adam Cureton
- 2004
"On a Supposed Right to Tell Lies from Benevolent Motives" (sometimes translated On a Supposed Right to Lie because of Philanthropic Concerns) (German: Über ein vermeintes Recht aus Menschenliebe zu lügen) is a 1797 essay by the philosopher Immanuel Kant in which the author discusses radical honesty.
Although a great deal has been written on why and how he argued for this conclusion, comparatively little has been written on what, precisely, Kant considered a lie to be, and on how he differentiated between being truthful and being candid, between telling a lie and being reticent, and between telling a lie and other forms of linguistic deception.
- James Edwin Mahon
- 2003
CHRISTINE M. KORSGAARD The Right to Lie: Kant on Dealing with Evil One of the great difficulties with Kant's moral philosophy is that it seems to imply that our moral obligations leave us powerless in the face of evil. Kant's theory sets a high ideal of conduct and tells us to live up to that ideal regardless of what other persons are doing.
It may be said, unequivocally, that Augustine, Aquinas, and Kant held the moral absolutist view that lying is always wrong and never justified (see Mahon 2009). This cannot be said about Aristotle, who, for example, permitted self-deprecating lies told by the magnanimous person.
Apr 1, 2007 · It is often said that Immanuel Kant claims that lying can never be ethical and that we cannot claim a right to lie under special, or even under the most extreme, circumstances. This claim is based largely on readings of Kant’s foundational works, the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals and the Critique of Practical Reason.
