In five pages this paper develops a child molestation hypothetical case study in order to assess the ethics of lying within the context of the philosophical contention that lying is never justifiable. Three sources re cited in the bibliography.
Name of Research Paper File: RT13_SA209lie.rtf
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white lies--those untruths designed to make people amenable--and there is also little excuse for lies which manipulate others. Even when a parent tells a small child that if he does
not eat his vegetables, Santa will not arrive next Christmas, for example, that is not justifiable. Some might deem it so because a parent is trying to get his or
her child to eat something that is good for them, but while the motive may be pure, the ends do not justify the means, as the means are coercive. Yet,
other parental dilemmas often involve lying and snooping, all for the good of the child. Such problems present real ethical questions, and some involve more than white lies, but breaking
the law as well. In a hypothetical situation, a divorced mother suspects that her ex-husband is sexually molesting their daughter. Although she has no proof, the woman has read about
signs and symptoms of sexual abuse and has come to believe that this is in fact the case. Because of her conclusions, allowing her daughter to see the father on
the weekends, which is what is normal for the ten year old, would be putting her daughter in jeopardy. Should the woman lie to the police, and fabricate "evidence," in
order to protect her daughter from possible harm? Or, should she allow her daughter to see the father until she is certain that he does pose a danger to the
little girl? The consequences of lying to police are that there is a danger that the lie will be found out as well as the real ethical problem
of ruining a possibly innocent mans reputation. Although the former does not seem to be very serious, fabricating evidence is a crime. Dilemmas concerning hiding children from a parental molester