Assignment 10

Chapter 10 “Kant’s Arguments on Lying”

Kant’s argument for lying was very interesting, it makes you think how many people will actually lie In order to accomplish things in life or even just like one of the cases that we have to discuss, telling you a lie to make you feel better. I can see the point Kant is making and I do understand that lying should be forbidden in daily bases, like the first case- If someone tells you a lie to make you feel better is that right? Maybe no, but only that person knows the truth. I think is personal decision if you decide to lie in order to make someone feel better. To me people do this to express kindness or just to make you feel comfortable around you or just to get to know you to break the ice and start conversation. But what about if these people are comfortable with themselves to lie to get people’s attention, what if they start lying to get better job or even worst, to me ones you start using a small lies here and there on daily bases you might going to start using them all the time and in some point everything you say will be lies. I do agree with Kant’s argument, people should not lie to get someone else’s attention, I am coming from different country where was very different and people would not compliment you if they don’t really think whatever they say. Here people compliments each other all the time and I am not very sure if that’s all truth, or they just say things? We wont know, its their own decision to tell a lie or not, to me I will always find a way to talk to people and still make them feel good around me without telling lies.
The second case is where you can use a lie to safe someone’s life. In Kant’s argument he still think that even in this situations you shouldn’t go in between and try not to blame yourself you tell the truth knowing that someone’s life is dependent on your words. I completely disagree with Kant, and in the book where they give you example with the murderer, trying to catch someone and you know he might kill him, he is asking you “Do you know where he go?” This question have the meaning- if you tell me where the guy is I will kill him and if you don’t I might not. So to me the murderer makes YOU the judge of that person’s life what would you do? Are you still going to tell the truth, which in this case is, telling the murderer where the guy is and eventually he will kill him? Or would you rather tell lie and send the murderer away and safe that person’s life? I would lie of course I think when it comes to the point where you have to put a human being’s life in danger you have to do whatever it takes to prevent it and safe life. Overall I agree with Kant’s argument for the first case, people should not lie at all, I think you can accomplish so much if you are honest and not needing to tell lies to make people feel better I think people can feel if you are good person. On the other hand I disagree with Kant’s argument for the second case I think that there should not be a second thought when it comes to saving someone’s life, you should do whatever it takes to save people’s life and if this is a lie then you should lie