Mill & the “Sacred” Rule Against Lying | The Ethics of Lying

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Is lying ever justified for the greater good? What about when the benefit of lying is only marginal? In this video, we explore John Stuart Mill’s position on the ethics of lying. Through his refined version of Utilitarianism, Mill tackles these questions, offering rule-based guidance as to when lying is morally permissible and when it’s morally forbidden.

Mill doesn’t dismiss lying outright but warns of its potential to undermine trust and social cooperation. However, he acknowledges rare exceptions where lying might prevent significant harm. Consequentially, he develops a well-considered ethical framework for lying, providing an improved alternative to the theory of his predecessor, Jeremy Bentham.

🔍 Key Points Covered:
The Principle of Utility and its application to the ethics of lying
Weaknesses of Jeremy Bentham’s Act Utilitarianism
An introduction Rule Utilitarianism and Mill’s sophisticated approach to lying
The social importance of truth-telling and trust
Mill’s rare exceptions to the rule against lying

📖 Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: Should You Lie for the Greater Good?
00:28 Mill’s Principle of Utility Explained
01:38 Bentham’s Act Utilitarianism on Lying
02:56 Mill’s Rule Utilitarianism & the “Sacred” Rule Against Lying
05:00 Exceptions to the Rule Against Lying
07:49 Conclusion

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🗨️ Comment below: Is lying ever acceptable, or should honesty always prevail?

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🔬 Sources and Further Reading:
Eggleston, B. (2017) “Mill’s Moral Standard”. In: A Companion to Mill. C. Macleod & D. E. Miller (eds.). Chichester, West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, Inc, pp. 358-373.
Honderich, T. (2005) The Oxford Companion to Philosophy. 2nd edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 548)
Martin, C. (2014) Moral Decision Making. (C. Martin, Narr.) [Audiobook]. The Great Courses. https://www.thegreatcourses.com/cours...
Mill, J. S. (2008) On Liberty & Other Essays. J. Gray (ed.). Reissued edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Shaw, W. H. (2017) “Mill and Modern Utilitarianism”. In: A Companion to Mill. C. Macleod & D. E. Miller (eds.). Chichester, West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, Inc, pp. 551-566.
West, H. R. Mill’s Utilitarianism: A Reader’s Guide (2007) London: Continuum.

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