Telling a Lie to Save a Life

I am a student of philosophy and really appreciate Kant. I love the phrasing of his Categorical Imperative and only wished that it really worked. I never really understood Kant’s connection between reason, will and duty. However, I just read a paper by Greg Ganssle, renowned university professor. I now understand.

Kant, Reason, Will and Duty

A good friend has taken refuge in your basement

An evil murderer is at your front door and

Wants to kill her

He tells you

I must know the truth, please tell me the truth

Is she here?

Do you tell the truth and say, yes she is here?

Or do you lie and say, no, she is not here

If you tell the truth, he kills her

If you lie, you save a life

Perhaps the greatest moral good

        

Kant claims that one is always morally obliged to tell the truth

Others claim that, sometimes, one has a moral responsibility to lie

To protect a friend who is innocent from the criminal who is evil

To be truthful (honest) in all declarations is a sacred and unconditionally commanding law of reason that admits of no expediency (including philanthropic or lifesaving expediency) whatsoever...

Kant believes that reason was designed to influence the will

To produce a will that is not merely good, as a means to further some end

But is good in itself

Rational beings are able to will the good and the bad

Infinite desires, the least of all, happiness

But how does reason produce a good will?

Kant gives no detailed response for this important reality

He moves on to duty

Duty, like a good will, holds

First place in estimating the total moral worth of our actions

Duties to others recognized by Kant correspond to the subordinate principles

 Not to lie, to be beneficent, not to steal, not to deprive others of liberty, etc.

Rational beings use reason to derive duty

When actions are done out of duty as determined by reason

They promote the development of a good will, per se

When we act out of duty, we so not to achieve some purpose of the will

For example, happiness