Sober Philosophy: Lies (Mark presents, AZF)

A lie is a deliberate misrepresentation—saying something you believe to be false (or concealing truth) with the intent to mislead. Philosophers often distinguish:

Direct lies: explicit false statements.

Lies of omission: leaving out key facts to create a false impression.

Self-deception: convincing oneself of something untrue, which blurs the line between error and dishonesty.

In philosophy, lying sits at the intersection of ethics (Is it ever justified?) and epistemology (How do we know what’s true?).

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How people perceive lies (and why)
Perception varies widely depending on context:

Moral condemnation (baseline view)
In many cultures, lying is seen as wrong because it undermines trust, which is foundational for cooperation. Thinkers like Immanuel Kant argued that lying is always morally impermissible because it violates a universal duty to truth.

Contextual tolerance
People often accept “white lies” (to avoid harm or social friction) and may even expect them in polite society. This reflects a more flexible, outcome-based ethic.

Power and narrative
Lies told by institutions or authorities are judged more harshly because they can shape reality at scale—propaganda, misinformation, etc. Here, lying becomes tied to power.

Psychological factors
Humans are not great lie detectors. We tend to believe others by default (a “truth bias”), partly because constant skepticism would be socially costly. At the same time, people justify their own lies more easily than others’, especially when they believe the outcome is beneficial.

Cultural differences
Some cultures emphasize blunt honesty; others prioritize harmony, where indirectness or partial truth may be more accepted.

“...honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.”
— letter from Thomas Jefferson to Nathaniel Macon (January 12, 1819)

“Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies.”
- Aphorism 483 from Human, All Too Human (1878) by Friedrich Nietzsche

“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction… no longer exists.”

• The Origins of Totalitarianism (1958 revised edition) by Hannah Arendt

“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”
- widely, though perhaps erroneously, attributed to Mark Twain

“No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.”
- Widely attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but unverified

"Not that you lied to me, but that I no longer believe you—that is what has distressed me."
- Aphorism 183 from Beyond Good and Evil (1886) by Friedrich Nietzsche

“...I should say: no, it is precisely facts that do not exist, only interpretations."
- from Nietzsche's private notebooks (entry date: Summer 1886 – Fall 1887)

"What then is truth? A mobile army of metaphors, metonyms, and anthropomorphisms—in short, a sum of human relations which have been enhanced, transposed, and embellished poetically and rhetorically, and which after long use seem firm, canonical, and obligatory to a people: truths are illusions about which one has forgotten that this is what they are; metaphors which are worn out and without sensuous power; coins which have lost their pictures and now matter only as metal, no longer as coins."
- On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense (1873) by Friedrich Nietzsche

"It is an infamy on the part of a philosopher to say: the Good and the Beautiful are one: if he adds to that, 'also the True,' then one ought to thrash him. Truth is ugly: we possess art so that we do not perish from the truth."
- unpublished notebook (entry Spring 1888) by Friedrich Nietzsche

Symptom-free (of potentially contagious disease) people with the capacity to listen considerately to diverse viewpoints are invited to attend after successfully RSVPing.

We begin the meeting at 7:30 pm sharp at the mezzanine above the lobby of the Graduate Hotel in the University District: 4507 Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105.

Directions for first-timers at the Graduate Hotel:
From the front hotel entrance go to the right. Turn left around the corner to enter through the north valet entrance. If the valet questions you just say you're here for the philosophy group. Go straight to the main lobby and turn right behind the large bookshelves before the elevators. Enter the stairway on your left, go up one flight, and go through the first door you encounter to enter our meeting area.

AMAZON FORMAT (AZF):
We will begin the meeting by reading the subject text above silently together.

OPENING ROUNDTABLE FORMAT (ORF):

1. The topic presenter begins the discussion by explaining why they are interested in the topic and some introductory thoughts on it.
2. Each participant in turn going clockwise from the presenter describes their general thoughts on the topic.
3. If one is not ready to speak they can just say “pass” and the next person speaks.
4. After we've gone around once anyone who passed will get a second chance to comment.
5. Once everyone has given opening remarks or passed twice, Opening Roundtable is completed and the meeting shifts into its main format.

TIMED DIRECTION FORMAT (TDRF>4):
If there are more than 4 people present we will use the format below.

1. We will divide up the timed direction discussion time by the number of participants plus one (for a buffer). A timer will be set for this amount of time.
2. Each participant in turn will become a Discussion Director and lead the group discussion.
3. If one is not ready to direct they dimply say “pass” and the next person becomes the Discussion Director.
4. Anyone who arrives after step 1 (above), may participate but will not get a turn as Discussion Director.
5. The Discussion Director can make statements or ask questions, or interrupt or redirect the discussion at their discretion.
6. The discussion participants can state their own opinions only when asked by the Discussion Director, not Interrupt others and accede to the Discussion Director’s interruptions or redirections.
7. When the timer goes off the person speaking finishes their thought and then the next participant clockwise becomes the next Discussion Director.
8. After we've gone around once anyone who passed will get a second chance to direct.

At the end of the meeting, participants will have an opportunity to vote on the topic and format for the following meeting.