Researcher of the Research Institute of Iranian Wisdom and Philosophy, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Kant's short article “On a Supposed Right to Lie from Altruistic Motives” (1798) was published in response to Benjamin Constant's criticism of his rigor ban of lying. Both Constant's essay, in which he had claimed a “Right to Truth”, and Kant's response has been subject of debate and controversy in philosophical literature about lying and Kantian ethics. In this paper I will first try to give an exposition of what Constant says and how Kant responds to him. Then I will focus on the contemporary literature about Kant/Constant debate and I will try to categorize kinds of approaches to this debate. At last, I will try to formulate my own approach to the debate and the way we can reframe the controversy, which has been emerged out of this debate about Kantian ethics.
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