[lit-ideas] Re: "Honesty Is The Best Policy"
- From: Andy Amago <aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 14 Oct 2004 09:29:40 -0400 (GMT-04:00)
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Stone <pas@xxxxxxxx>
Sent: Oct 13, 2004 8:33 PM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: "Honesty Is The Best Policy"
>
>J.L. wrote:
>I have not been able to find the couplet, but it was apparently Richard
>Whately -- the Oxford Dict. of Quotations says -- "1787-1863,
>English philosopher
>and theologian, Archbishop of Dublin from 1831", who wrote:
>
>"Honesty is the beste policy; but he who is governed by that maxim is not an
>honest man."
>
>
>A.A. This doesn't compute. Why is someone who practices honesty not an
>honest man?
Because if you do it BECAUSE, then you aren't doing it for the right
reasons. Most of us don't arbitrarily kill others, not because it's against
the law, but because we think it's not right. In other words, "those who
need to be governed to be honest, aren't honest... they are doing as they
are told"
A.A. I'm still having a problem with this. Being governed by a maxim is not
the same as being governed by a law. If I drive the speed limit because it's
the speed limit (i.e., because it reduces accidents) is that the same as
driving the speed limit because I don't want to get a ticket? Presumably being
governed by a maxim is being self-governed. By definition a maxim cannot be
enforced. Applying this to the Golden Rule, for example, if we treat others as
we want to be treated, i.e., live by the Golden Rule, are we being dishonest?
Andy Amago
expanding,
p
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