Lying and Truthfulness
A Thomistic Perspective

Draws on the thought of Thomas Aquinas to provide an innovative approach to the ethics of lying and truthfulness.

Stewart Clem (Author)

9781009261401, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 5 January 2023

350 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 1.9 cm, 0.49 kg

'Stewart Clem's book offers a rich and historically informed discussion of the vexed topic of the moral appropriateness of lying. Taking Aquinas's view as exemplary of the Christian tradition, Clem explores the notion of truthfulness in Aquinas's ethics; in the process, he illuminates Aquinas's entire ethical theory and its nuanced approach to the complexities of human life. On this basis, Clem constructs his own account of the virtue of truthfulness and shows its ability to handle tough cases commonly discussed both in the Christian tradition and in contemporary times. All those interested in the overarching theme of the virtue of truthfulness and its place in Christian ethics will want to read this book.' Eleonore Stump, Saint Louis University, author of Aquinas

In this book, Stewart Clem develops an account of truthfulness that is grounded in the Thomistic virtue of veracitas. Unlike most contemporary Christian ethicists, who narrowly focus on the permissibility of lying, he turns to the virtue of truthfulness and illuminates its close relationship to the virtue of justice. This approach generates a more precise taxonomy of speech acts and shows how they are grounded in specific virtues and vices. Clem's study also contributes to the contemporary literature on Aquinas, who is often classified alongside Augustine and Kant as holding a rigorist position on lying. Meticulously researched, this volume clarifies what set Aquinas's view apart in his own day and how it is relevant to our own. Clem demonstrates that Aquinas's account provides a genuine alternative to rigorist and consequentialist approaches. His analysis also reveals the perennial relevance of Aquinas's thought by bringing it to bear on contemporary social and ethical issues.

Introduction
Lying and Contemporary Christian Ethics: A Thomistic Critique
The Ambiguous Legacy of the Eighth Commandment: 'You Shall Not Bear False Witness'
Aquinas on the Sins of Speech
Aquinas on the Virtue of Veracitas
Lying, Asserting, and Evading: A Linguistic and Moral Analysis
A Thomistic Framework for the Ethics of Lying and Truthfulness
A Thomistic Theory of Bullshit
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Christian theology [HRCM], Religion & politics [HRAM2], Ethics & moral philosophy [HPQ]