L'interdiction du mensonge chez Kant
This essay is dedicated to the analysis of Kant’s thought on the notion of lying. As the Métaphysique des moeurs is divided in two parts, the first dealing with the second on morality, the essay treats the lie through these two angles. Based on Kant’s texts discussing the lie as a moral fault, i.e. the Leçons d’éthique, the Fondation de la Métaphysique des Moeurs and the Doctrine de la Vertu, one can note that Kant morally condemns lying mainly because it constitutes, in itself, the most serious violation of the human’s duty towards himself: sincerity. The individual who is not sincere, that is to say who deliberately says the opposite of what he thinks, not only goes against the inherent purpose of communication but also abandons his personality. In so doing, the human ceases to be a real human, that is to say where his thought and saying coincides, and becomes a semblance of human, namely someone who deliberately says the opposite of what he thinks. Referring to Kant’s treatment of lying from a legal point of view, i.e. D’un prétendu droit de mentir par humanité, one sees the idea that any attempt to tolerate a right to lie would make society impossible. Indeed, a right to lie would forever condemn humanity to a state of nature in that the confidence that is required in the original contract, marking the transition to a rule of law, would loss its meaning. In addition, a right to lie would ruin all contracts that rest, for their efficiency, on confidence. In other words, a right to lie is also contrary to law. The essay ends by showing how Kant’s position still holds meaning in the present world. A major part of this essay focuses on the controversial text of 1796, entitled D’un prétendu droit de mentir par humanité. While having shown of what consists Kant’s position, contrary to that of Constant, we analyzed many commentaries which were devoted to this polemical text, opposing Kant and Benjamin Constant, in order to show that the interpretation of the position of Kant on lying varies according to whether his moral philosophy or his philosophy of the right is exclusively mobilized.
Éthique Droit Kant Constant Philosophy Ethics Law Lie Practical philosophy Kant Constant