A Lie Never Justifiable: A Study in Ethics. H. Clay Trumbull

      Published by Good Press, 2019

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      EAN 4064066181093

Table of Contents

       PREFACE.

       I.

       II.

       III.

       IV.

       V.

       VI.

       VII.

       TOPICAL INDEX.

       SCRIPTURAL INDEX .

PREFACE.

       Table of Contents

      That there was need of a book on the subject of which this treats, will be evidenced to those who examine its contents. Whether this book meets the need, it is for those to decide who are its readers.

      The circumstances of its writing are recited in its opening chapter. I was urged to the undertaking by valued friends. At every step in its progress I have been helped by those friends, and others. For much of that which is valuable in it, they deserve credit. For its imperfections and lack, I alone am at fault.

      Although I make no claim to exhaustiveness of treatment in this work, I do claim to have attempted a treatment that is exceptionally comprehensive and thorough. My researches have included extensive and varied fields of fact and of thought, even though very much in those fields has been left ungathered. What is here presented is at least suggestive of the abundance and richness of the matter available in this line.

      While not presuming to think that I have said the last word on this question of the ages, I do venture to hope that I have furnished fresh material for its more intelligent consideration. It may be that, in view of the data here presented, some will settle the question finally for themselves—by settling it right.

      If the work tends to bring any considerable number to this practical issue, I shall be more than repaid for the labor expended on it; for I have a profound conviction that it is the question of questions in ethics, now as always.

      H. CLAY TRUMBULL.

      PHILADELPHIA,

      August 14,1893

      I.

      A QUESTION OF THE AGES.

      Is a Lie Ever Justifiable?—Two Proffered Answers.—Inducements

       and Temptations Influencing a Decision.—Incident in Army Prison

       Life.—Difference in Opinion.—Killing Enemy, or Lying to

       Him.—Killing, but not Lying, Possibility with God.—Beginning of this

       Discussion.—Its Continuance.—Origin of this Book.

      II.

      ETHNIC CONCEPTIONS.

      Standards and Practices of Primitive Peoples.—Sayings and Doings of

       Hindoos.—Teachings of the Mahabharata.—Harischandra and

       Viswamitra, the Job and Satan of Hindoo Passion-Play.—Scandinavian

       Legends.—Fridthjof and Ingeborg.—Persian Ideals.—Zoroastrian Heaven

       and Hell.—"Home of Song," and "Home of the Lie."—Truth the Main

       Cardinal Virtue with Egyptians.—No Hope for the Liar.—Ptah, "Lord

       of Truth."—Truth Fundamental to Deity.—Relatively Low Standard

       of Greeks.—Incidental Testimony of Herodotus.—Truthfulness of

       Achilles.—Plato.—Aristotle.—Theognis.—Pindar.—Tragedy of

       Philoctetes.—Roman Standard.—Cicero.—Marcus Aurelius.—German

       Ideal.—Veracity a Primitive Conception.—Lie Abhorrent among Hill

       Tribes of India.—Khonds.—Sonthals.—Todas.—Bheels.—Sowrahs.—

       Tipperahs.—Arabs.—American Indians.—Patagonians.—Hottentots.—

       East Africans.—Mandingoes.—Dyaks of Borneo—"Lying Heaps."—Veddahs

       of Ceylon.—Javanese.—Lying Incident of Civilization.—Influence of

       Spirit of Barter.—"Punic Faith."—False Philosophy of Morals.

      III.

      BIBLE TEACHINGS.

      Principles, not Rules, the Bible Standard.—Two Pictures of

       Paradise.—Place of Liars.—God True, though Men Lie.—Hebrew

       Midwives.—Jacob and Esau.—Rahab the Lying Harlot.—Samuel at

       Bethlehem.—Micaiah before Jehoshaphat and Ahab.—Character

       and Conduct.—Abraham.—Isaac.—Jacob.—David.—Ananias and

       Sapphira.—Bible Injunctions and Warnings.

      IV.

      DEFINITIONS.

      Importance of a Definition.—Lie Positive, and Lie Negative.—Speech

       and Act.—Element of Intention.—Concealment Justifiable, and

       Concealment Unjustifiable.—Witness in Court.—Concealment that is

       Right.—Concealment that is Sinful.—First Duty of Fallen Man.—Brutal

       Frankness.—Indecent Exposure of Personal Opinion.—Lie Never

       Tolerable as Means of Concealing.—False Leg or Eye.—Duty of

       Disclosure Conditioned on Relations to Others.—Deception Purposed,

       and Resultant Deception.—Limits of Responsibility for Results of

       Action.—Surgeon Refusing to Leave Patient.—Father with Drowning

       Child.—Mother and Wife Choosing.—Others Self-Deceived concerning

       Us.—Facial Expression.—"A Blind Patch."—Broken Vase.—Closed

       Shutters in Midsummer.—Opened Shutters.—Absent Man's Hat in

       Front Hall.—When Concealment is Proper.—When Concealment is

       Wrong.—Contagious Diseases.—Selling a Horse or Cow.—Covering

       Pit.—Wearing Wig.—God's Method with Man.—Delicate Distinction.—

       Truthful Statements Resulting in False Impressions.—Concealing