Is lying or deceit the same......is any of them ever justified under any circumstances?

Answer 1

Let us see how people answer this question. It is a great question and opinions can vary. I for one believe they are the same and never justified but we have all done that at sometime in our lives.

Answer 2

Lying and deceit are related but not exactly the same thing. Lying is when you come right out and say something that isn't true. Deceit includes lying but also 'misrepresenting' facts, like giving only one side of the story or misleading the listener into thinking something that isn't true. Advertising is (often) very skilled in misleading without lying, but it's still deceitful.

An excellent example is how the Bush administration used 9/11 to justify the invasion of Iraq. Bush never actually accused Saddam of masterminding 9/11, but he mentioned Saddam in the same sentence as terrorism and 9/11 in every speech, deliberately giving Americans the idea that they were related. At one point, 70% of Americans believed Saddam was behind 9/11. Even today 30% of us believe it, even though there is no evidence, and Saddam was a secularist who hated Islamic terrorists and would never cooperate with them.

Are lying and deceit ever justified? Well, in the real world morals and ethics are not always clear and simple. There are no 'nevers' in the real world. So I can't say they are never justified. But they would have to be in support of a 'greater good'. Just offhand I can't think of an example where lying could serve to prevent a bigger harm than they lying itself, but there could be examples where you could make a good case. Maybe when your wife asks "Am I as pretty as when you married me?" 8^)

Answer 3

I would hate to think that when I told my grandkids I didn't know anything about any birthday party is was as bad as telling the police officer I didn't see a thing when I was right there. It depends on the circumstances.