Tuesday, May 30, 2006

“Oh what a wicked web we weave when first we practice to deceive”

What is a lie?

Here are some definitions from the dictionary:

A false statement deliberately presented as being true; a falsehood.
Something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression.
To present false information with the intention of deceiving.
To convey a false image or impression: Appearances often lie.

What makes a person lie?

According to the philosophers Saint Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Immanuel Kant, there are no circumstances where a person can lie – one must (unfortunately) be murdered, suffer torture, or endure any other hardship, rather than lie, if the only way to protect oneself is to lie.

Perhaps this is why House believes everyone lies.

Does House lie?