Week 9 - Refutation and concession

Refutation
Lying to protect privacy is not always a morally acceptable departure from the general principle of truthfulness. Crime such as child molestation, sexual harassment or exploitation, privacy is no excuse or justification for lying.
My qualified defense is that lying some times is a morally justifiable response to others seeking information. Not only do we make exceptions to the prohibition against lying; sometimes we enthusiastically approve of it. If a doctor tells a bereaved husband that his wife died instantly in the crash, rather than the truth – that she spent her last hours in horrific pain – we applaud the doctor’s compassion. When a football manager convinces his team of his complete confidence in their ability to recover from two goals down at half-time, even though he is inwardly despairing, we call it inspirational leadership. We call the lies we like ‘white lies’. White lies can be morally acceptable from the general principle of truthfulness.