In this article I discuss the prohibition of lying in its highest form, as sanctioned by Immanuel Kant, according to whom truthfulness is an absolute moral duty that does not admit exceptions; its questioning by Bernard Williams, who, while partially accepting Kant’s approach, believes that one should not scruple to lie in relevant cases such as when it comes to saving a life; finally, the reflection on the practice of lying and on what it means to tell the truth by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who, in his attempt to fight against that great lie that was Nazism, risked and lost his own life. The thesis I maintain is that, like a lie, truth too can be an act that includes a lie. Therefore, one can tell the truth by lying.
Quando mentire equivale a dire il vero
Raspa, Venanzio
2022
Abstract
In this article I discuss the prohibition of lying in its highest form, as sanctioned by Immanuel Kant, according to whom truthfulness is an absolute moral duty that does not admit exceptions; its questioning by Bernard Williams, who, while partially accepting Kant’s approach, believes that one should not scruple to lie in relevant cases such as when it comes to saving a life; finally, the reflection on the practice of lying and on what it means to tell the truth by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who, in his attempt to fight against that great lie that was Nazism, risked and lost his own life. The thesis I maintain is that, like a lie, truth too can be an act that includes a lie. Therefore, one can tell the truth by lying.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
