Prof. Talks on 'Well-Told Lie'

Is it always wrong to lie?

When, where and why it is permissible to be dishonest was the subject of a lecture given yesterday by Alan Ryan at the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Ryan, a professor of politics at Princeton University, delivered the speech, titled "Professional Liars: Doctors, Lawyers, Politicians and the Well-Told Lie" to an audience of more than 250 people.

"A professional liar," Ryan said, "is someone who tells lies for a living and tells them well."

At the heart of the lecture was the concept of the "well-told lie"--the lie that is both plausible and justified.

Ryan applied the idea of the "well-told lie" to three professions: law, medicine and politics.

"The doctor-patient relationship is very difficult to characterize," Ryan said. "We tend to waver between treating doctors as car mechanics."

Given this ambiguous relationship, doctors have the difficult decision of how much medical information to tell patients, he said. Patients have a certain right to know, but at the same time, divulging too much is not always in their best interest.

Ryan discussed where a lawyer's allegiance should lie--with the court or the client. Should lawyers serve the court in order to "deliver justice for their client or to their client?" he asked.

The notion that lawyers will lie to defend their clients leads to cynicism and lack of trust in our justice system, Ryan said. "The idea that you need to 'win' the jury in your favor implies that their decisions are erratic," he said.

Ryan also talked about lying in politics, suggesting that there are politicians whose duty it is to not tell the whole truth. "One can not expect absolute frankness from the National Security Council," he said.

"The public wants to hear politicians tell the truth," Ryan said, "but it votes against those who do."

Franklin D. Roosevelt '04 apparently learned this lesson. According to Ryan, his fireside chats would not have worked had he been more truthful.

Winston Churchill's famous invasion speech would not have worked had he not turned off the microphone before commenting that he had no idea what to use for ammunition other than empty liquor bottles, Ryan said.

Larry Temkin, a fellow of the Program in Ethics and the Professions, commented afterwards, "It is clear that there are situations in which one must lie, such as to save a life. The question is whether or not Alan Ryan has given a newer explanation that widens the scope of situations in which it is permissible to lie."

The speech is part of a series organized by The Program in Ethics and the Professions, a University-wide program dealing with ethical issues in the professional world.