The Ethics of Lying in the Public Interest: Reflections on the "Just Lie"

Abstract

There is perhaps no more controversial issue in assessing the limits of political and administrative discretion than whether it is ever ethical for an official to lie in the public interest. While cringing at the thought of legitimating mendacity by public officials, recall the admonition of Michael Walzer that "no one succeeds in politics without getting their hands dirty." This article looks first at the defense of official deception as classically articulated by Machiavelli and Walzer. It then examines the case against lying presented by Sissela Bok and Maureen Ramsay, with a focus on Ramsay's arguments against the "just lie" theory. The article defends the feasibility of the theory by applying its standards to a case based on administrative experience where recourse to deception appears to have achieved a good result.