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Article: Truth, politics, and self-deception.(Truth-Telling, Lying, and Self-Deception)
- Article from:
- Social Research
- Article date:
- September 22, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 New School for Social Research. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The Truth: Virtues and Methods
THERE are social practices and virtues which, if we are to characterize them, require us to mention the truth. This is not the same as mentioning what other people hold true (their beliefs), or just mentioning what we regard as true (our own beliefs). We may contrast in this respect two different virtues of truth, which may be labeled sincerity and accuracy. Sincerity (at the most basic level) merely implies that people say what they believe to be true, that is, what they believe. Accuracy implies care, reliability, and so on in discovering and coming to believe the truth.
Among other questions that involve mentioning the ...