Moral choice in public and private life by bok, sissela abebooks. Beginning with the moral questions raised about lying since antiquity, sissela bok takes up the justifications offered for all kinds of lieswhite. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. This book explores the ethics of lying, motivations for lying, and in which scenarios that. Her new book, a strategy for peace, will be out early next year.
At her home near boston, we talked about breaking and keeping the public trust. As a philosopher and ethicist she has a tendency to make even the most jaded of us pause and ask ourselves many different things. Moral choice in public and private life, and secrets. The negro problem and modern democracy, was well known in the united states and. Previously, she was a professor of philosophy at brandeis univeristy.
What, she asks you, would it be like to live in a world in which truthtelling was not the common practice. Lying is a penetrating and thoughtful examination of one of the most pervasive yet little discussed aspects of our public and private lives. Lyingmoral choice in public and private life sissela bok chris cassidy, cfi regional loss prevention manager southern states cooperative sissela bok is one of my favorite thinkers. Sissela bok was born in sweden and educated in switzerland and france before coming to the united states. On the ethics of concealment and revelation, and more on. Lying ebook by sissela bok 9780307789112 rakuten kobo. A thoughtful addition to the growing debate over public and private morality. Unless stopped, government leaders will have free rein to manipulate and distort the facts and thus escape accountability to.
Its continuing broad readership pays tribute to the books. Its continuing broad readership pays tribute to the book s. Moral choice in public and private life by sissela bok. Fullinwider explores and amplifies sissela bok s seminal work. For one who cannot get over moral absolutism or for one who simply wants to better understand it, this is a good treatment of one of the issues moral absolutists take seriously. As she said herself, this book doesnt answer these questions but instead examines them thoroughly and eclectically. Sissela bok how can you tell if politicians are lying. Moral choice in public and private life is a 1978 book by philosopher sissela bok that covers the ethical issues in lying, such as intent, result, context.
Philosopher sissela bok on lying toward an honesty culture. Bok most clearly begins to present her own theories about lying in chapters 6 and 7, where she examines types of excuses and then tests the types by means of methods of justification and publicity. Unless stopped, government leaders will have free rein to manipulate and distort the facts and thus escape accountability to the public. Essay on the novel on lying by sissela bok free content web. Well, the subject of lying connects for me, very much, with all of communication, and the amazing thing that we human beings. Sissela bok books list of books by author sissela bok. Sissela bok on lying and moral choice in private and public life an amplification. While i did find the topic interesting, i do believe that the conclusions would be different had the author taken another perspective into account, stop the ones she discusses within her book. Sissela boks lying is a wellwritten book about an obviously interesting subject, deception, and when and under what circumstances it should be employed. A philosopher looks at lying and deception in public and private lifein government, medicine, law, academia, journalism, in the family and between friends. Moral choice in public and private life bok, sissela on.
Moral choice in public and private life, by sissela bok is the single most influential and groundbreaking piece of literature on the subject of lying. Sissela bok, an expert on lying, its justifications and consequences, makes clear the price we pay when we are lied to. Publication date 1979 topics truthfulness and falsehood, guilt, deception, morals, ethiek, waarheid, liegen. Beginning with the moral questions raised about lying since antiquity, sissela bok takes up the justifications offered for all kinds of lieswhite lies, lies to the sick and dying, lies of parents to. A philosopher looks at lying and deception in public and private lifein government, medicine, law, academia. Looks at lying and deception in law, family, medicine, government. Sissela bok on lying and moral choice in private and public life an. While the majority of the time lying is reprehensible, there is always an exception to every rule. It examines consequences and causation, and extrapolates whether the lie is tenable or not. Moral choice in public and private life by sissela. In lying, author sissela bok examines what is a lie and its definitions, implications, ramifications, and moral standing. Boks work has no peer as a serious treatment of a central, but.
Sissela bok is a swedishborn american philosopher who was born in 1934. Bok examines the effects of lying and deception upon society and individuals, challenging the reader to consider any justifications that might exist for this pervasive practice. View sissela boks website formerly a professor of philosophy at brandeis university, sissela bok is currently a senior visiting fellow at the harvard center for population and development studies. Bok considers lying from the perspective of utilitarian philosophers. The consequences of such lies are then explored through a number of concrete. And so, when i recently read philosophy professor sissela boks book lying. Moral choice in public and private life updated by sissela bok isbn. Sissela bok is opposed to lying, but in her highly selective and tendentious book on the subject she directs her attention primarily to lies told by those occupying positions of power and responsibility in american society.
Donald trump and the culture of lying the new yorker. Sissela bok received the george orwell award and the melcher book award for lying. These philosophers confirm acts more according to the graciousness and. Sissela bok on lying and moral choice in private and. Sissela bok, the author of a seminal book on political lying, joins dorothy wickenden to discuss trumps continued assaults on the truth. See all books authored by sissela bok, including lying. Beginning with the moral questions raised about lying since antiquity, sissela bok takes up the justifications offered for all kinds of lieswhite lies, lies to the sick and dying, lies of parents to children, lies to enemies, lies to protect clients and peers. Its continuing broad readership pays tribute to the books lucidity and good sense.
Moral choice in public and private life is a 1978 book by philosopher sissela bok that covers the ethical issues in lying, such as intent, result, context, and circumstances. Fullinwider explores and amplifies sissela boks seminal work. She has written extensively on topics in the fields of bioethics, practical ethics, biography, and public affairs. For one who cannot get over moral absolutism or for one who simply wants to better understand it, this is a good. Sissela bok is a senior visiting fellow at the harvard center for population and development studies. Moral choice in public and private life, the author gives and approach to philosophic questions that regard ethical issues, thus making this book favorable to a high degree. Lies that are spoken with intention to cause harm are malicious and evil, where as certain situations require lying. Lying remains in print today, nearly thirty years after its initial publication, and is widely used in the classroom. Whatever matters to human beings, trust is the atmosphere in which it thrives. Sissela boks on lying, examines the dangers that lies inflict on society. Lying is basically numerous books in one as sissela bok gives a tour of moral philosophy from st.
Moral choice in public and private life by sissela bok and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read lying. Moral choice in public and private life, sissela bok acknowledges that, despite numerous religious and moral pronouncements against lying, people almost universally resort to the. Sissela bok is a swedishamerican philosopher who has specialized in the investigation of practical ethical issues.
Moral choice in public and private life vintage books, 1979, i was gratified to find that, after having studied that same subject matter of lying and dishonesty with great analytical rigor, and after having carefully examined the various excuses that have been made. Here is the case that sissela bok makes for the principle of veracity a principle asserting a very strong moral presumption against lying. Their lips are moving these mocking phrases, coursing through utube and the social media, speak to deep layers of distrust for politicans and public officials. Use the link below to share a fulltext version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Moral choice in public and private life 9780375705281 by bok, sissela and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. In such a world, you could never trust anything you were told or anything you read. Moral choice in public and private life ebook written by sissela bok. What makes her choice of subjects seem even more unusual is that the woman, sissela bok, is the daughter of two nobel prize winners gunnar and alva myrdal of sweden. We can do so through gesture, through disguise, by. She was the daughter of two nobel prize winners, her father, gunnar myrdal, was a worldrenewed economist, politician, and author. Quotations by sissela bok, swedish philosopher, born december 2, 1934.
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