Fragment -- #111

[December 1999 journal entry]

Reflections on ‘lying’ after guiding a discussion for a Presbyterian USA adult group (which the senior pastor invited me to do) --

1. It is critical to differentiate ‘categorical’ and ‘prima facie’ approaches to ethics.
   
2. Can a lie be noble? harmless? selfish? redemptive? harmful? loving?
3. Views of ‘truth’ bear on the individual observer’s perspective.
4. Harm can be done by not bearing truthful witness.
5. How close to the deepest relationships can one reach without having confidence in the other?
6. In what way is a lie denial? secretive? manipulative?
7. Can one defend being ‘categorical’ on some matters and ‘prima facie’ on other matters?
   
8. We construct reality by how we handle ‘truth-telling’.
9. What is the relationship between ‘truth telling’ and ‘covenant’?