A Philosophy of Lying

9781789145632
REAKTION BOOKS
Lars Svendsen
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This book is a comprehensive investigation of lying in everyday life. What exactly is a lie, and how does lying differ from related phenomena such as 'bullshit' or being truthful? Lars Svendsen also investigates the ethics of lying - why is lying almost always morally wrong, and why is lying to one's friends especially bad? The book concludes by looking at lying in politics, from Plato's theory of the 'noble lie' to Donald Trump. Svendsen's conclusion is that, even though we all occasionally lie, we are for the most part trustworthy. Trusting others makes you vulnerable, and you will be duped from time to time, but that is - all things considered - preferable to living in a constant state of distrust.

9781789145632
Contributor Bio

Lars Svendsen is Professor in the Department of Philosophy, University of Bergen, Norway. He is the author of many books for Reaktion including A Philosophy of Boredom (2004) and A Philosophy of Loneliness (2017).

9781789145632
9781789145632