A lie is an untruth or false statement with intent.
Is it ever okay to lie? Is lying ever morally required?
John Stuart Mill was an English philosopher who many people regarded as being "the most influential English-speaking philosopher of the nineteenth century". He was a very smart man who strongly believed that philosophy could improve society. He knew Greek by age three and Latin and Algebra by age eight. He was known as the father of Utilitarianism.
Utilitarianism is a theory centered on the idea that the moral worth of an action depends on its results. In other words, of the possible actions open to you, you should choose the one that will do the greatest good for the greatest number, that is, the one that will maximize happiness.
Deontology, on the other hand, is a theory that says we are required to perform certain moral duties regardless of the consequences.
Our other philosopher was Immanuel Kant. He was a German philosopher who believed that Deontology was the correct theory of the two. He also disagreed both with Socrates' view that we are born with knowledge, and with David Hume's view that all knowledge comes from experience.
A girl has a date for a formal dance. She dresses up in her finest clothes and greets him when he arrives at the door. He asks, "How do I look?". The truth is that he looks foolish. His suit does not fit right - the sleeves are too short, and the pants are too long. Furthermore, his hair is totally overdone.
If you were in her position, what would you tell him? If you were in his position, would you want to know the truth?
