Lying Is Morally Accepted One Essay

On the other hand there are arguments for why people should lie, in other words when lying would be justified. Lying could be justified if it was done in self-defense. This is the same concept as shooting someone in self-defense; if you have to tell a lie in order to exit a situation that is harmful to yourself it is justified. Additionally, lying to protect trade secrets, like discussed above in lying by omission, is justifiable. If businesses shared their trade secrets openly with competitors it would create many issues for the businesses that are trying to stay ahead of others. Lastly, an argument for when lying is justified is when it is done to protect national security. The cases of when lies are justified are much rarer than when they are not justified. In all cases, even when it seems justifiable the consequences should be thoroughly considered. 4 Overall people should favor telling the truth and when they do lie be prepared to face the consequences.

In conclusion lying is a controversial subject, many will say it is never justified to lie and others say it is justified in some circumstances.In the above there were several types of lies reviewed, from white lies to lies by omission. Different types of lies and the situation they are done in helps to determine if it is justifiable or not. In the rare cases of lying in self-defense, protecting trade secrets, or keeping our national security intact, lying is more than justifiable. In those cases the lies are used for the greater good. When a situation to lie presents itself, it is important to step back and think about not only the lie but the consequences it could have. Understand if the lie will hurt others or yourself and if it will grow over time. Once you have determined to lie or not, stay committed to your decision and deal with the consequences.

Works Cited

Thiroux, Jacques and Krasemann, Keith. Ethics: Theory and Practice 10th Edition. New York: Pearson, 2009.

1 Jacques Thiroux. Ethics: Theory and….....