The Morality of Lying in Contrast to the Philosophies of Kant Essay

The young fille gazes at you helplessly from within the tangled wreckage. You witnessed the crash a big truck careened into a minivan as it passed on the highway, killing the driver on impact, and virtually tearing the girl in half. Now she hangs from the car, held together by the seatbelt. Her uneasy system critically damaged, she cant feel much pain, but she knows that her situation is not optimal, to say the least. She is six years old she probably doesnt understand the concept of death. As you stare equally helplessly into her fear stricken eyes, the only words that you can muster are Dont worry, everything will be okay. This is obviously a lie there is absolutely no chance that the dying girl will indeed survive and deal no cause for worry but this lie contains ideas to sooth her fear, allowing a comparatively peaceful passage out of this life. Surely few would argue that the little girl did not deserve to be comforted, as the alternative seems somewhat heartless Why sh ould I help you? Youre not worth my time, youll be dead(p) in a minute. Indeed, telling the truth, in this case, appears even less moral than the lie. There is, however, at least one who would disagree with this scenario a certain Immanuel Kant, whose philosophical system insists that lying is wrong in every circumstance. But despite Kants fervent belief, it is not hard to see how lying can be a beneficial, mutually advantageous, and in fact moral act that still consistently complies with Kants own moral imperatives.Because Kants philosophy does not specifically restore what a lie is, we are led to believe that speaking an untruth, no matter what the context, is strictly immoral. But speaking untruth does not necessitate the prohibit conno... ...lf to a degree, allowing room for leniency. Lies can be perfectly acceptable, selfless, and moral in the face of a greater evil, or when no harm is being through on any side. BibliographyGass, R. H., & Seiter, J. S. (1999). Persuasion, Social Influence, and Compliance Gaining. Needham Heights, MA Allyn & Bacon.Henningsen, D. D., Cruz, M. G., & Morr, M. C. (2000). Pattern Violations and Perception of put-on. Communication Reports. Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 1-9.http//www.allwords.com/word-white%20lie.htmlKant, Immanuel. The Foundations of Ethics. Moral Philosophy a Reader. Ed. Louis P. Pojman. Indianapolis, IN Hackett Company, 1993. 194-213.Pruss, Alexander R. Lying, Deception and Kant. Alexander R. Pruss Ethics Blog. 30 Aug. 2001. Baylor U. 8 Mar. 2008 .