Which of the Following Is Most Plausibly Considered a Counterexample

question 49

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is most plausibly considered a counterexample to the principle that it is always wrong to tell a lie?

• A) Suppose that you saw someone rob a bank. You are called as a witness at the robber's trial and you take an oath to tell the truth. The lawyer asks whether you saw the robbery. It is permissible for you to lie and say that you did not see the robbery.
• B) Suppose that you and a friend are staying in a remote cabin in the mountains. A wild-eyed man with a bloody axe shows up at the cabin door. He asks whether your friend is there, explaining that he intends to kill your friend. It would be permissible to lie to the man to protect your friend.
• C) Telling a lie is a way of manipulating someone because lying is a way of getting someone to do or believe something that you want him or her to do or believe. Since manipulating someone violates the obligation to respect persons, it is morally wrong.
• D) Although people do have an obligation not to lie to others, they also have other obligations that can sometimes conflict with the obligation not to lie, and there will be cases in which those other obligations are more important.

---

Definitions:

Economic Dislocations

Situations where an economy experiences inefficiency due to factors such as technological change, policy alterations, or market shifts.

Recruitment Process

The series of actions taken by an organization to identify and hire new employees effectively.

Preliminary Contact

An initial interaction or communication made to establish a connection or start a process, often before formal negotiations or agreements.

Personal Interview

A qualitative research method involving a direct, face-to-face conversation between an interviewer and the respondent to collect in-depth data.