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  • Essay / An Objectivist Approach to Honesty in the Face of White Lies

    Table of ContentsSummaryIntroductionObjections to Honesty as an Objective ValueHonesty as a Purely Subjective ValueHonesty versus Truth versus White LiesResponse to ObjectionsHonesty Overcomes White LiesHonesty is not much about feelings, it is a commandHonesty is over White liesConclusionsSummaryI want to start with the moral judgment that "honesty" is an "objective value" and in this essay on honesty, I argues against others' beliefs that white lies are considered good practice since they only address good intentions. By the objectivist approach, which is the approach to morality as empirical judgments. I provide my arguments and answers to prove that honesty is a morally acceptable value and can be proven true. This article includes three parts in which in the first part I present the moral value and the arguments. In the second part, however, objections and assertions are presented that can possibly prove that honesty is not an objective value and that white lies are very acceptable by society. And in the third part, I respond to the objections and arguments by supporting my claims and providing a conclusion for generalization. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayIntroductionHonesty is an important element in daily life. It is a provider of factual information that presents a realistic assessment of people's experiences without being overprotective of issues or overly optimistic. This means that honesty is an essential value in science "in human research activities, interpersonal relationships and communication", which leads individuals not to appear more than they are, nor to pretend know more than they do. “Honesty” is the refusal to simulate “reality to pretend that the facts are different from what they are.” This can be described as the flip side of rationality: while rationality is the commitment to think, judge, and act based on the relevant facts, honesty is the commitment not to act otherwise. In his quote it says that being truthful or honest does not support the idea of ​​falsifying something, whether the intention is good or bad. This is contrary to Field's idea that white lies are seen as having a beneficial purpose. Here she thought that being completely honest in some cases was rude or offensive and that white lies were a sign of courtesy. These are what scientists call "prosocial lies," lies told for the benefit of someone else, as opposed to "antisocial lies" which are told solely for one's own personal gain. Therefore, while others view white lies as justified, we still cannot forget the reality that through this practice people, especially today's children and youth, have learned to not telling the truth, even at a very young age. According to psychologist Robert Feldman of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, "white lies" have consequences, and the danger of revealing them is that they lead us to be more dishonest. This is the very first reason why we are asked to be honest and that honesty must be considered as an objective value that all men must acquire in order to be able to live in accordance with the law of nature and the law of God. . Because honesty is not just abouttell the truth. It’s about living an authentic life with reasonable manners. Honesty is an objective value When we talk about objective value, it is something that everyone needs. Something that is necessary for every person's life. So, everyone needs honesty, so honesty is an objective value. It's not something that people should choose specifically to have this in their life or not or just based on their feelings and thoughts. Honesty is not like that. This is something we should have to gain wisdom. As Thomas Jefferson said: “Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom.” Even more, God wants us to always be honest. God says, “You should know that God loves those who are honest. In essence, God is faithful and therefore His words can always be trusted; Moreover, his actions are blameless and indisputable, which is why God loves those who are absolutely honest with Him. He means that an honest person is a person who lives his life in an unquestionable way. Additionally, DB Resnik, in the International Encyclopedia of Social and Behavioral Sciences in 2001, places importance on honesty as a primary requirement in presenting data and research that people use to gain knowledge and information in medicine, science, physics and other elements. It states that honesty implies a general prohibition against falsifying, fabricating or distorting data, results or other types of information relating to scientific publication. Thus, they demonstrate that honesty is not just about people's feelings and choices, but rather is a source of everything people have learned on the Internet, in books, magazines and other sources of information that they use in daily life to survive. Additionally, traits that belong to the honest include sincerity, fairness, modesty, and lack of greed. Similarly, honesty-humility is a fundamental personality trait representing "the tendency to be fair and genuine in one's relationships with others, in the sense of cooperating with others, even when one can exploit others without suffering of retaliation.” Objections to Honesty as an Objective Value Many experts prove that honesty is not an objective value. They still believe that honesty is purely subjective and depends solely on the individual's choice and emotion. So, like white lies, if someone believes what they are feeling is the truth, then it is acceptable to everyone. This is consistent with what Mwedstwood said in 2011. He said a person is honest if they are frank and say what they believe to be true. In this case, honesty can be proven as a subjective, not objective, value. Honesty in Truth According to Schimmel, honesty has to do with what we believe. If we believe what we say is true, then we are being honest. However, if we focus on this definition, how can we justify the fact that the truth is objective and universally accepted and attested to by all. In contrast, white lies are considered acceptable as long as we believe them to be true and beneficial to many. Honesty as Purely Subjective Another expert who says that honesty is purely subjective while believing that the truth is objective is the guru of Shakespeare. She said honesty is much more subjective and depends on the integrity and intent of the speaker. Honesty versus truth versus white lies Similarly, Teegarden asserted that honesty is influenced by personal feelings and opinions and”.