Expediency
The argument between expediency and morality that Mill brings up is a difficult one. Is lying acceptable in certain situations as long as it increases overall happiness? The two very different examples we discussed were the boy in high school claiming that his mother was really his girlfriend to avoid ridicule and the German citizens telling the Nazis that they were not hiding any Jews while the Frank family was living in their business’ annex. Both increase happiness, so according to utilitarianism, that would make lying moral at times, right?
Mill says that lying makes you liable to keep lying, therefore unraveling our social fabric and causing distrust in society. I disagree with this. I do not think that lying causes a domino effect, but I believe it is immoral. I agree with what Professor Gorges said today: lying is always immoral, but it is sometimes necessary. In the case of Ann Frank, it is necessary for her friends to save a family from death, and in turn, necessary to lie by telling the Nazis that they are not hiding anyone. However, in the boy’s case, the lie is not stopping any other drastically immoral actions besides derision, so it is not necessary.
I think that a lie can never be labeled as moral, but sometimes a lie must be told to prevent a tragedy from happening.
Victoria said,
June 6, 2007 at 3:32 pm
I agree with you, and your last line is so true. Sometimes you can also lie to give someone strength. But when Mill says that lying makes you liable to keep lying, in some situations it does because some people can be caught in a lie and won’t confess and say I lied. But there are some people that will say they lied.
Harpreet said,
June 9, 2007 at 12:19 am
Don’t you think that it is immoral to say that your mom is your girlfriend. You can’t mix two different relations together and also I will diagree with you, because I think that if you lie once, it will more llikely pesuade you to lie the second time as well.