lyingmoralchoiceinpublicandprivatelife

 **Book citation information ** **Book Title: **// Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life // **Book Author: ** Sissela Bok **Publisher and Year Published:** Vintage Books:1978, 1989, 1999 **ISBN Number:** 0-375-70528-7 **Reviewed By:** Stephanie P.

**Book summary contents ** **Key Terms & Definitions: ** **Lie: **Any intentionally deceptive message which is // stated //. **Social Good: **Overall morale of affect of the community; common trust in one another and the social system at large **Officious Lies:** Helpful lies **Jocose Lies:** Lies told in jest <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">**Mischievous Lies:** Malicious lies told to harm someone **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Paternalistic Lies: ** Lies told by an authority over someone else to try and protect them from some knowledge or action

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">**Executive Summary of the Author's Main Premise** // Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life // examines how lies are inevitably entangled into every part of our lives. Whether intentionally malice or committed completely in ignorance, lies effect our public and private interactions as well as our own well being. Sissela Bok using compelling moral questions and various scenarios to explore different historical and philosophical perspectives on lying and how one can asses the effect that lying will have on him or herself as well as the greater community. Bok offers justifications and rationale used overtime for why lying is inevitable (and even necessary in some cases) as different types of lying are defined and and explored through concrete examples in both public and private scenarios.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">**Relevance to Leadership Concerns** Both Chapters 11 and 12 are extremely relevant to public leadership positions in that they discuss clients, co-workers, and the public good. The author presents realistic examples of the morality of truthfulness and lying in the public sector. These examples are helpful for anyone in a leadership position as they try and navigate their role within their organization and the community. The sections on private morality and lying are also important a leader who sees their actions within the workplace as dictated by or the same as their private moral practices.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">**Key Points from Each Chapter** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">**Chapter 1: Is the "Whole Truth" Attainable?** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">**Chapter 2: Truthfullness, Deceit, and Trust** **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Chapter 3: Never to Lie? ** **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Chapter 4: Weighing the Consequences ** **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Chapter 5: White Lies ** **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Chapter 6: Excuses ** **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Chapter 7: Justification ** **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Chapter 8: Lies in a Crisis ** **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Chapter 9: Lying to Liars ** **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Chapter 10: Lying to Enemies ** **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Chapter 11: Lies Protecting Peers and Clients ** **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Chapter 12: Lies for Public Good ** **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Chapter 13: Deceptive Social Science Research ** **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Chapter 14: Patrenalistic Lies ** **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Chapter 15: Lies to the Sick and Dying **
 * The whole truth is out of reach
 * Truthfullness vs. deception
 * The moral question of truth depends on an intention to mislead
 * Liars vs. the lied to
 * Different perspective of lying
 * Lies defined as an intentionally deceptive message which is stated
 * The importance of trust in social communication
 * The Perspective of the deceived
 * The perspective of the liar
 * Distinction between a free-loading liar and a "liar whose deception is a strategy for survival in a corrupt society."
 * Harm that lying beings to the liar and the general trust of social cooperation
 * Lying damaging communities
 * The rejection of all lies
 * Perspectives on lying be wrong under all circumstances
 * Officious, jocose, and mischievous lies
 * What counts as a lie
 * Conflicts of duty
 * When does truthfulness cause more harm than lying?
 * Religious prohibitions on lying
 * The role of consequences
 * Utilitarianism and lying
 * Systems at play
 * Conflicts of conscience
 * Why lying matters and what it does to individuals and institutions
 * What is a harmless lie?
 * Lies not meant to injure anyone with little moral impact
 * Preserving the equilibrium and "humaneness" of social relationships
 * Placebos
 * Letters of recommendation
 * Truthfulness at what price?
 * Types of excuses
 * Avoiding harm
 * Producing benefits
 * Fairness
 * Veracity
 * Justification and publicity
 * Level of justification
 * Caution and risk-taking
 * Acute crisis
 * Prolonged threats to survival
 * Line-drawing
 * Expanding deceptive practices
 * The danger of justifying lies
 * Lying to unmask liars
 * An eye for an eye
 * Mutual deceit
 * Giving enemies their due
 * Religious perspectives
 * Countering harm
 * Rules of the game
 * Confidentiality
 * Fidelity to colleagues
 * Fidelity to clients
 * The "noble" lie
 * Examples of political deception and reasoning
 * Deception and consent
 * Social science experimentation
 * Harm and benefit
 * Review committees
 * Professional responsibility
 * Pseudo-patient studies
 * Defining paternalism and just lies
 * Paternalistic deception
 * Justification for such lies
 * Deception as therapy
 * Patient perspective
 * Respect and truthfulness

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">**Is the Book Worth the Read? Why or Why Not?** I would recommend this book as a helpful resource during difficult leadership or other ethical scenarios (when trying to decide if lying is needed and/or morally wrong). I do not think it is necessary to read the book cover to cover as it often repeats underlying themes about morality and lying. The chapters are laid out with titles and subtitles that are easy for referencing for a particular topic or scenario. A lot of useful philosophical questions and resources are in the book, and the appendix is full of excerpts by Augustine, Aquinas Bacon, Grotius, Kant, Sidwick, Harrod, Bonhoeffer, and Warnock. I would definitely say is useful to have on the bookshelf.