Lies & Deceit

Abstract: Issues around lying and deception arise constantly in ethics and in the practice of conflict resolution, so it would be useful to have clear definitions of the different varieties. This paper starts with a system of Colombetti’s, a set of axioms that treat honest assertive communications using a small number of concepts, mostly intentions and beliefs. His approach is extended to allow for deception and lies, and related forms like insincere offers and requests, or false promises, tricks, manipulations, betrayals, halftruths, talking through one’s hat, and giving one’s word falsely. Some results are the distinction between lying intentionally and intending to lie, the definition of trickery versus deception in general, and a systematization of different kinds of promises and ways of performing them insincerely. The definitions are compared with a plentiful source of deceptions, the Book of Genesis

. 1. Introduction
What counts as a full-scale lie versus simply an evasion? Is a trick different from a betrayal, or a manipulation? These questions...