A Lie Never Justifiable | Page 8

utterance, and refuses to take
advantage of it, even though the fate of Troy and the triumph of Greek
arms depend on the issue. The plain teaching of the tragedy is that "the
purposes of heaven are not to be served by a lie; and that the simplicity
of the young son of truth-loving Achilles is better in the sight of heaven,
even when it seems to lead to failure, than all the cleverness of guileful
Ulysses."[4]
[Footnote 1: Pythian Ode, I, 86.]
[Footnote 2: Olympian Ode, 4, 16.]
[Footnote 3: Bergk's _Pindar_, 183 [221].]
[Footnote 4: Professor Lamberton]
It is admitted on all hands that the Romans and the Germans had a high
ideal as to the duty of truthfulness and the sin of lying.[1] And so it was
in fact with all peoples which had any considerable measure of
civilization in former ages. It is a noteworthy fact that the duty of

veracity is often more prominent among primitive peoples than among
the more civilized, and that, correspondingly, lying is abhorred as a
vice, or seems to be unknown as an expedient in social intercourse.
This is not always admitted in the theories of writers on morals, but it
would seem to be borne out by an examination into the facts of the case.
Lecky, in his study of "the natural history of morals,"[2] claims that
veracity "usually increases with civilization," and he seeks to show why
it is so. But this view of Lecky's is an unfounded assumption, in
support of which he proffers no evidence; while Herbert Spencer's
exhibit of facts, in his "Cyclopaedia of Descriptive Sociology," seems
to disprove the claim of Lecky; and he directly asserts that "surviving
remnants of some primitive races in India have natures in which
truthfulness seems to be organic; that not only to the surrounding
Hindoos, higher intellectually and relatively advanced in culture, are
they in this respect far superior, but they are superior to Europeans."[3]
[Footnote 1: See Fowler's _Principles of Morals_, II., 220; also
Mahaffy's _Social Life in Greece_, p. 27. Note, for instance, the high
standard as to truthfulness indicated by Cicero, in his "Offices," III.,
12-17, 32. "Pretense and dissimulation ought to be banished from the
whole of life." "Reason ... requires that nothing be done insidiously,
nothing dissemblingly, nothing falsely." Note, also, Juvenal, Satire
XIII., as to the sin of a lie purposed, even if not spoken; and Marcus
Aurelius in his "Thoughts," Book IX.: "He ... who lies is guilty of
impiety to the same [highest] divinity." "He, then, who lies
intentionally is guilty of impiety, inasmuch as he acts unjustly by
deceiving; and he also who lies unintentionally, inasmuch as he is at
variance with the universal nature, and inasmuch as he disturbs the
order by fighting against the nature of the world; for he fights against it,
who is moved of himself to that which is contrary to truth, for he had
received powers from nature through the neglect of which he is not able
now to distinguish falsehood from truth."]
[Footnote 2: _History of European Morals_, I., 143.]
[Footnote 3: See Spencer's _Principles of Sociology_, II., 234 ff.; also
his _Inductions of Ethics_, p. 405 f.]
Among those Hill Tribes of India which have been most secluded, and
which have retained the largest measure of primitive life and customs,
fidelity to truth in speech and act is still the standard, and a lie is

abhorrent to the normal instincts of the race. Of the Khonds of Central
India it is said that they, "in common with many other wild races, bear
a singular character for truthfulness and honesty;"[1] and that
especially "the aborigine is the most truthful of beings."[2] "The
Khonds believe that truthfulness is one of the most sacred of duties
imposed by the gods."[3] "They are men of one word."[4] "The truth is
by a Sonthals held sacred." [5] The Todas "call falsehood one of the
worst of vices."[6] Although it is said by one traveler that the Todas
"practice dissimulation toward Europeans, yet he recognizes this as a
trait consequent on their intercourse with Europeans."[7] The Bheels,
which were said to be "a race of unmitigated savages, without any
sense of natural religion." [8] and "which have preserved their rude
habits and manners to the present day," are "yet imbued with a sense of
truth and honor strangely at contrast with their external character."[9]
Bishop Heber says that "their word is more to be depended on than that
of their conquerors."[10] Of the Sowrahs it is said: "A pleasing feature
in their character is their complete truthfulness. They do not know how
to tell a lie."[11] Indeed, as Mr. Spencer sums up the case on this point,
there are Hill Tribes in India "originally distinguished by their veracity,
but