Close inspection of different perceptions of morality in Western philosophy allows identifying unique features of philosophical teachings. Furthermore, studying how different philosophical doctrines approach violations of morality can be used for a clearer understanding of philosophers’ views. In a significant part of her works, O’Neil defended Immanuel Kant’s philosophy and his views on ethics. This paper will explore Kant’s perspective on lying to define how lying presents a violation of someone’s autonomy.
Firstly, Kant’s moral philosophy is based on the foundation of human freedom. Kant emphasized the role of rationality and reasoning in humans, suggesting that they provide humans with the ability to make free choices. Furthermore, Kant characterized the lack of external influence on the individual’s rationality and reasoning as autonomy. Kant also explained that people should respect other people’s autonomy or the “dignity of humanity in every other man” (Ward 122). Therefore, autonomy represents the individual or collective’s ability to make independent decisions.
Next, lying is morally wrong from Kant’s perspective because of two significant reasons. Firstly, the lying person’s actions cannot be based on rational thinking, meaning that the person misused his ability to make free choices. Thus, such decision itself makes the person’s act immoral and unacceptable. Furthermore, by exposing other people to their lies, the individual influences the thinking of others, violating their autonomy. Therefore, Kant’s perception suggests that people who receive the wrong information will be deprived of the ability to think rationally.
In conclusion, this essay explored the perception of lying in Kantian philosophy defended by O’Neil. The paper explained that Kant’s understanding of morality was founded on the basis of rational thinking and freedom of choice. Lies affect a person’s ability to think rationally, exposing them to external influences. Therefore, lying is immoral because it affects the lying individual’s rational thinking and violates other people’s autonomy to make decisions.
Work Cited
Ward, Keith. The Development of Kant’s View of Ethics. Wiley, 2019.