Ethical dilemma

• English
• Secondary Education

Ethical dilemma

Would you lie?

Your plan to set up your friend Carey with your acquaintance Emerson is finally coming together. You’ve made them a dinner reservation, but suddenly realize that there's a problem: Carey is always late. You really want this relationship to work— what if you told Carey dinner was at 6 instead of 6:30, so they arrived on time?
Is it okay to lie?

YES

NO

Your friend Carey has a habit of being very

1. anxious
2. late
3. romantic

According to Immanuel Kant, lying is permissible when

1. It produces the greatest happiness overall.
2. It would be convenient for you personally, even at the cost of other people.
3. It is never permissible!

According to the utilitarian philosopher John Stuart Mill, lying is permissible when

1. It produces the greatest happiness overall.
2. It would be convenient for you personally, even at the cost of other people.
3. It is never permissible!

Paternalism is

1. Interfering with another person’s choices.
2. Interfering with another person’s choices for that person’s benefit.
3. Benefitting another person.

The reason it is wrong to treat someone paternalistically is

1. That it would require a lot of work to figure out what would benefit that person.
2. That it disrespects that person by violating their autonomy.
3. That the other person would handle the situation better than you would.

The third view mentioned in the video holds that Kant overstated the moral wrongness of lying, while Mill understated it. Where do you fall on the spectrum of views about the wrongness of lying? Why?

What would Mill think about Jack and Algernon?