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Jean-Charles Longuet

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Telling the truth: are there limits?

Two recent talks focused on "Truth" as something good/moral. Practically, however, some information may cause havoc: the Wikileaks diplomatic data disclosure, for example, coulad have put some people at risk.

How should we manage the decision to disclose (or not) such information? Or manage the moral dilemma when telling a lie may have a positive outcome?
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[update 2012/11/25] The conversation initially mixed a few things : Truth is something that is not as obvious as it seems, and Lies are more related to a deceiving/manipulative intention that to the hiding of some Truth.

Anyway, all points of views are welcome.

Related Talks:
Topics: Lies morality society truth
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  • Mark Meijer 100+

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    Nov 12 2012: If there are reasonable limits to how much honesty is desirable in practical terms, I don't think we have much to worry about just yet. Raising the potential issue of "too much honesty" is just another distraction, just another way of forestalling any genuine confrontation with oneself. As a survival tactic of dishonesty, it is itself a dishonest issue. Why should we fear the truth, except as a threat to our most dearly held lies.

    Btw. I wouldn't confuse the issue of honesty with the issue of government transparency. There may be honest and dishonest motivations at play when deciding on transparency and disclosure, and there may be all kinds of opinions about what outweighs what, and why, but that is a different discussion entirely. Another distraction in this context, as any focus outward will be.

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