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30th out of 34 books
—
2 voters
Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life
by
Sissela Bok
A thoughtful addition to the growing debate over public and private morality. Looks at lying and deception in law, family, medicine, government.
Paperback, 368 pages
Published
September 14th 1999
by Vintage
(first published 1978)
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A bit hard to read at times but it was very informative and intriguing nonetheless. This book wasn't what I expected. It just helped me to contemplate much more about lying (and the motives/reasons for doing so) than I had before. It wasn't a polemic against lying. Literally, it was just a highly reasoned discussion that was backed by plenty of evidence. If you care about all the half-truths and whole lies that we tell everyday (doctors, congress, white lies, lies to children), this book goes th...more
Every possible angle on the issue of lying is explored, but when it comes down to it- after a few pages of discussion, it is easy to "get the point." Even still, there were parts that were mildly interesting. I personally enjoyed the dilemma of the doctor confronted with the choice of whether to tell his patient he has 6 months to live, knowing this man was to soon depart for a family vacation. He went ahead and told him- I think he should have waited a week and let him have fun on vaca. Am I n...more
Sissela Bok's task is not an easy one: to define a moral stance on the practiced-by-all-but-condoned-by-none habit of lying. Yet she succeeds brilliantly in capturing the essence of the societal norms associated with the practice. Bok draws on the wisdom of a line of philosophers from ancient times until today to establish the harm lies cause to society and individuals, and the fallacy of the common excuses ("white lies", "the greater good", "inability to handle the truth", etc.).
The authors's...more
The authors's...more
Covers almost every area of deception that one can think of. Rational and philosophical in approach the author makes no secret of their opinion on lying, yet is able to objectively pick apart the myriad areas of the modern world where deception comes into play.
While perhaps slightly dated, most of Bok's arguments still apply, even though society has evolved at least somewhat in the area of medicine and informed consent.
In summary, probably best for those erring towards nerdiness (sorry) this bo...more
While perhaps slightly dated, most of Bok's arguments still apply, even though society has evolved at least somewhat in the area of medicine and informed consent.
In summary, probably best for those erring towards nerdiness (sorry) this bo...more
I bought this book in an attempt to understand why this other person in my life had such an propensity for deceitfulness, but before I could finish the book, I sent her packing to the opposite side of the country. I decided to read it anyway. What a surprise when I found out that I too was a liar when I omitted facts, changed the subject, or engaged other weaselly lawyer tactics in which the question is truthfully answered, but the 'truth' is not conveyed. Actually, I cannot blame that on law sc...more
Late 1970s popular philosophy text on lying. Well-written and clear, no jargon. She approaches the problem of lying from an applied ethics perspective and focuses on examining cases when lying might be laudable. She doesn't spend much time on defining lying, basically calling it intentional statements of known untruths. Then goes onto argue that lying should be a last resort and examine various cases where it might be appropriate: crises, to liars, to organizations with more power.
Mar 11, 2008
David M.
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
ethics
A catalog of the various excuses people make for speaking deceptively, and an ethical examination of these reasons.
Bok thinks that there are some good excuses for lying, but that in general people tend to be far too willing to justify lies and that the various reasons they give -- while they may be superficially appealing -- typically don't stand up to scrutiny.
For one thing, justifications for lies tend to be from the liar's point of view, whereas a good justification for deception ought to als...more
Bok thinks that there are some good excuses for lying, but that in general people tend to be far too willing to justify lies and that the various reasons they give -- while they may be superficially appealing -- typically don't stand up to scrutiny.
For one thing, justifications for lies tend to be from the liar's point of view, whereas a good justification for deception ought to als...more
I read this in college (ethics class). Basically, the book states that the only reason someone should lie was to protect the innocent. As we read the book, we analysed the movie "Hiding Place," "Bonhoeffer - Agent of Grace."
How many ways can one author say that lying is bad. No, there are no acceptable times to lie even if someone's life might be saved. One of the most idealistic books I've ever read and one of the most misguided.
I loved this book. I'm going to read it again. So many things I've wondered about in the past.
This book takes as its point of departure the banal notion that lying is morally wrong and never wavers therefrom.
A must read for those interested in everyday choices based on ethics and moral integrity.
Sep 23, 2010
Craig J.
added it
Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life by Sissela Bok (1999)
Required reading for faculty. Perhaps too idealistic.
Lies are a huge part of everyday life for many people. This book explores everything from the little white lie to blatant and incriminating lies. It explores the way parents lie to children about Santa and the Easter Bunny, as well as simply "mistruths" told to quite a child or, in some cases, to protect a child.
It really is an interesting read. I read it while taking an ethics course at BYU from Sherry Baker and actually read it cover to cover, which is saying a lot for a busy college student w...more
It really is an interesting read. I read it while taking an ethics course at BYU from Sherry Baker and actually read it cover to cover, which is saying a lot for a busy college student w...more
Book for school.
This is the first book on the syllabus for the class I am TA'ing...I better start this shiz :)
Read this some years ago back in college and it made quite an impression. I just picked my yellowing copy and noticed that I underlined a lot of passages in pencil, so I really must have dug it. Every angle of the concept of lying is scrutinized and the book is pretty uncompromising in concluding that a lie is a lie, no matter how you want to slice it.
Fascinating exploration of lies and why people tell them, who tells them, and the effect it has on people. It isn't just about "liars" but also about priests, lawyers, doctors, and other professionals who may lie in order to protect confidentiality oaths or help a patient.
a look at the ethos of lying. A liberating read.
Everybody lies, nothing new there.
Jun 11, 2013
Dcdevyl
marked it as to-read
Jun 05, 2013
Sheryl Hagemann
is currently reading it
May 26, 2013
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Jan 26, 2012 05:43am