'Lying' by Sam Harris

[Jon190]

Sam Harris, someone who neither I nor, no doubt, many of you agree with on much, has a really good new short book out called Lying, in which he argues in his usual clear, calm and eloquent style that lying is almost always wrong, and talks about the terrible consequences so-called “white lies” have on our personal relationships and on society as a whole, and how much our lives would be improved if we all told the truth, even when it’s difficult. It’s very short (Dr Harris himself describes it as an “essay” rather than a book in the acknowledgements) and you can get it pretty cheaply for a Kindle or a Kindle app.

I found it interesting how even the utilitarianism of Dr Harris, when applied consistently, can lead to very similar ethical positions to someone who has believes in intrinsic rightness or wrongness, since everything that’s sinful is harmful. Though I suppose what we Christians say is harmful not everyone would agree is harmful.

If you’ve read it, what did you make of it?

 

[Beryllos]

I read it and found it very interesting. If I am correctly reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it takes a strong position against lying, no matter the circumstances. This is difficult for me, and most of us, I suspect. Harris’s little book gave me some useful insights and has occasionally helped me to avoid lying. It has been a while since I read it, so I must quickly review it before posting again…

 

[Beryllos]

… Okay, I had read it completely about 16 months ago, but my recollection was a little fuzzy and I had to give it a quick skim before posting the following comment:

In my opinion, the book is perfectly safe for Catholics to read. It does not deny, criticize, or challenge religious beliefs or believers. The book makes no mention of religion. The book makes no mention of atheism. If you knew nothing about the author, I suspect you could not tell what his view of religion is, though you could tell that the book expresses a secular viewpoint. In fact, Sam Harris believes that God does not exist; he is an atheist. However, I think he is the best kind of atheist, one who loves his neighbor, seeks the truth, and strives to live in a morally right and good manner. He has written a book which contain much truth that is relevant to Christians, and it is well worth reading.