Lies and Lies
As today, we often listen to ethicists expounding largely on the matter of ‘black’ and ‘white’ lies. Every mother knows the difference! It is important but misses the fundamentals.
The question at heart is that of Integrity and how it employs the ‘truth’ or white and black lies..
In an anti-society there is no integrity, and only the arbitrary use of lies and honesty. It is a state of social chaos.
Any and all stable forms of society, and state, require Integrity both from citizens and the corporate body.
Where integrity is directed at and in the altruist society, the benefit is for everyone – at least in the long term.
Where integrity is within a servile state or society, it is the integrity of the state and any divine manifestation of it, that is of sole concern.
Where society is anarchistic, or based on the autonomous individual, it is the protection of that individuality and independence that matters.
Lies and Integrity
Re: Lies and Integrity
i think black and white lies are popularly understood within a framework of consequentialism.
white lies promote good outcomes and avoid bad, black lies do the opposite.
so it's not arbitrary in that there is a rationale and intent is still being judged but it isn't really sound in terms of consequence and people conveniently move the goal posts to suit their purposes. in other words, 'white lies' can have direct and indirect negative consequences that people simply gloss over in favor of their positive consequences. but nobody is doing the math to see if the overall outcome it good or positive and therefore 'white' - assuming such a calculation is even possible.
so i agree you enter murky waters when employing white lies in terms of their overall value or legitimacy, that any compromise of complete integrity is likely to cause issues both in terms of social order and soundness - that is, do these lies actually effect what they intend/are suppose to?
that said, overall, contrary to what you state, i believe these lies are absolutely necessary to maintain social order, in modern societies in particular (maybe not for other societies). think about it.
staunch integrity if practiced on a wide scale would probably destroy modern society which is effectively build on these lies - and the balance of black and white. insofar as society requires the vast majority to have a conscience to function smoothly (internalized sense of social obligation), it is necessary that people believe they are doing good through their lies or else this required behavior in various situations will be at odds with the person they've been raised to be.it's just the scope of 'permissible lies' has broadened in accordance with further changes in modern societies, and broadened out to apply to a larger segment of society in terms of population and situations, it's more widespread.
whether this causes greater dissonance in people as they try to or still feel it necessary to hold on to the notion of them being a good person, which they are raised to value, or perhaps innately desire, is another question. i think it has to do with feeling a sense of threat to ones attachment(s) to others, like those bonds are conditional on them being a certain kind of person, yet the demands of society/life in the 21st century are pulling them in another direction, however to the extent this is something many people experience the societal norms will adjust and 'allow it' which i observe to be the case, but this doesn't really change the previous mentioned ramifications, just alleviates some of the dissonance perhaps.
again, this is all within the notion that these lies actually support order - although at some cost of internal/psychic order perhaps and indeed mental illness is on the rise, depression, self-hate, etc. so much so people come to view happy people, especially those who aren't mainstream accomplished and therefore can't be used as banners of success by society, as unlikable, unrelatable, even threatening to the social order. but you can't be happy without full integrity...
the human mind wants to express itself. it wants to state what its thinking at every moment. this isn't a problem if you're a happy person since you'll have happy thoughts and thus words, but you can't be a happy person, among other conditions, if you have to lie outwardly, no matter the justification, it causes stress on the mind, which diminishes psychological health and happiness.
so my conclusion is that overall the black vs white lies thing is rational given the goals of modern societies and do support order, but there is more inward disorder and at times outward when this disorder periodically expresses itself (seemingly unprovoked highschool shootings, etc.) as a result. which harkens back to the question of whether the goals of modern societies are really worth it.
white lies promote good outcomes and avoid bad, black lies do the opposite.
so it's not arbitrary in that there is a rationale and intent is still being judged but it isn't really sound in terms of consequence and people conveniently move the goal posts to suit their purposes. in other words, 'white lies' can have direct and indirect negative consequences that people simply gloss over in favor of their positive consequences. but nobody is doing the math to see if the overall outcome it good or positive and therefore 'white' - assuming such a calculation is even possible.
so i agree you enter murky waters when employing white lies in terms of their overall value or legitimacy, that any compromise of complete integrity is likely to cause issues both in terms of social order and soundness - that is, do these lies actually effect what they intend/are suppose to?
that said, overall, contrary to what you state, i believe these lies are absolutely necessary to maintain social order, in modern societies in particular (maybe not for other societies). think about it.
staunch integrity if practiced on a wide scale would probably destroy modern society which is effectively build on these lies - and the balance of black and white. insofar as society requires the vast majority to have a conscience to function smoothly (internalized sense of social obligation), it is necessary that people believe they are doing good through their lies or else this required behavior in various situations will be at odds with the person they've been raised to be.it's just the scope of 'permissible lies' has broadened in accordance with further changes in modern societies, and broadened out to apply to a larger segment of society in terms of population and situations, it's more widespread.
whether this causes greater dissonance in people as they try to or still feel it necessary to hold on to the notion of them being a good person, which they are raised to value, or perhaps innately desire, is another question. i think it has to do with feeling a sense of threat to ones attachment(s) to others, like those bonds are conditional on them being a certain kind of person, yet the demands of society/life in the 21st century are pulling them in another direction, however to the extent this is something many people experience the societal norms will adjust and 'allow it' which i observe to be the case, but this doesn't really change the previous mentioned ramifications, just alleviates some of the dissonance perhaps.
again, this is all within the notion that these lies actually support order - although at some cost of internal/psychic order perhaps and indeed mental illness is on the rise, depression, self-hate, etc. so much so people come to view happy people, especially those who aren't mainstream accomplished and therefore can't be used as banners of success by society, as unlikable, unrelatable, even threatening to the social order. but you can't be happy without full integrity...
the human mind wants to express itself. it wants to state what its thinking at every moment. this isn't a problem if you're a happy person since you'll have happy thoughts and thus words, but you can't be a happy person, among other conditions, if you have to lie outwardly, no matter the justification, it causes stress on the mind, which diminishes psychological health and happiness.
so my conclusion is that overall the black vs white lies thing is rational given the goals of modern societies and do support order, but there is more inward disorder and at times outward when this disorder periodically expresses itself (seemingly unprovoked highschool shootings, etc.) as a result. which harkens back to the question of whether the goals of modern societies are really worth it.