ToK Presentation. My knowledge issue and research question is under what circumstances it can be morally justified to lie?

Slide 1

My knowledge issue and research question is under what circumstances it can be morally justified to lie?

Slide 2

What is lying? I have defined it as (an inaccurate and false statement, used with deliberate intent deceive in order to get oneself out of a difficulty)
To answer the question we have to differentiate between a regular lie and a so called “white lie”
A white lie being “a harmless or trivial lie, told to avoid hurting someone's feelings”
However, in my presentation I have decided to center my attention on white lies and under what circumstances it can be justified to use them.
I have chosen three different viewpoints on lying, the first one being a religious perspective, the second being a utilitarian perspective, and a third being consequentialism.

Slide 3

Ever since we were kids, our parents and authority figures whether they are religious or governmental , have taught us not to lie
Scaring us with stories such as Peter and the Wolf, we were encouraged/ ordered not to lie
yet, most, if not everyone has in in some scenario told a lie

Slide 4

In order to answer my knowledge issue “under what circumstances can it be morally justified to lie” I also have to define moral
And in my IB English class we defined moral as “values and customs with respect ...

Slide 3

Ever since we were kids, our parents and authority figures whether they are religious or governmental , have taught us not to lie
Scaring us with stories such as Peter and the Wolf, we were encouraged/ ordered not to lie
yet, most, if not everyone has in in some scenario told a lie

Slide 4

In order to answer my knowledge issue “under what circumstances can it be morally justified to lie” I also have to define moral
And in my IB English class we defined moral as “values and customs with respect to what is right or wrong.”

Slide 5

Personal connections and experiences, and scenarios in which I have lied include
You get home, your mother has been cooking for a few hours, preparing a meal
She serves it to you and it you through up in your mouth, she asks you how it was and because you are polite and don’t want to hurt her, you respond and say it tastes great
Now this would be considered a white lie, due to the fact that the using this false statement to protect her feelings
Another typical scenario would be, you friend just got a strange haircut, and in order to protect that persons feelings you lie and say it looks great.

Slide 6

Now from a religious perspective, we are taught that one should always tell the truth no matter what
One of the given to us by God being “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” “basically meaning one should not lie”
These Ten Commandments are widely understood as moral imperatives by most religious scholars.
Hence from a religious perspective, whether it is Catholicism or Judaism or Islam lying could never be justified and is highly discouraged

Slide 7

Now, from a perspective of a consequentialist
Consequentialism being the belief that whether an act is right or wrong is determined completely by its consequences for you.
Since by protecting your friend you are protecting yourself, lying could be justified.

Slide 8

From a utilitarian perspective it would in this scenario not only justified but also encouraged to lie
Utilitarianism- being a sort of egalitarian type of consequentialism is a theory that all actions should be done for the greater good
Utilitarianism does not mean that one ought to maximize the number of people benefitted by an act. If you have the option of making one person incredibly better off, or making two people only very slightly better off, then Utilitarianism encourages you to do the former.
So from a utilitarian perspective, lying to your mother would be the “right” thing to do because parts are satisfied, you are not hurt and neither is your mother.

Slide 9

Lying is one of those things that are in a morally grey area no concrete laws against it yet it is frowned upon in most cultures
My personal opinion (I would consider myself utilitarian) believe that in these typical everyday scenarios where by lying one can protect another person and you are not harming anyone, lying would be justified and would be considered the “right” thing to do.