intervening only if

lying

truth

nationality

American

occupation / innovator as

philosopher

university professor

Princeton University

innovator in the field of

philosophy

university teacher

scientific organization

American Academy of Arts and Sciences

is the idea in moral philosophy that asks whether non-intervention in cases where the likely result is know is to count as intervention for which should be held responsible.

Black wants Jones to perform a certain action A. Suppose Black is an amazingly good reader of body language cues such that he can tell, in advance, what Jones has decided to do. If Jones decides to perform A, then Black will do nothing... If Jones does not decide to perform A, then Black will intervene and force him to do A. Now imagine that, as it happens, Jones decides to perform A and Black never has to intervene.Question: Is Jones responsible for A'

is an act with a sharp focus designed to insert a particular falsehood at a specific point. The liar must think he knows what is true.

Telling a lie is an act with a sharp focus. It is designed to insert a particular falsehood at a specific point. . . . In order to invent a lie at all, [the teller of a lie] must think he knows what is true'.

is an impossibility unless that person thinks they know the truth. A person who lies is thereby responding to the truth, and thus he is to that extent actually respectful of it.

It is impossible for someone to lie unless he thinks he knows the truth. A person who lies is thereby responding to the truth, and he is to that extent respectful of it. Harry Frankfurt

 requires selflessness to recognize it. You have to leave yourself out of it so you can find out the way things are in themselves, not the way they look to you or how you feel about them or how you would like them to be.

Recognizing truth requires selflessness. You have to leave yourself out of it so you can find out the way things are in themselves, not the way they look to you or how you feel about them or how you would like them to be. Harry Frankfurt

Harry FrankfurtThinkers

Harry Frankfurt