Is it ethical to lie? The Kant-Constant controversy

For Kant, the German philosopher, lying is always an act to be banished, as it destroys trust within society and undermines the moral law in man. For Constant, the French philosopher, lying can be virtuous depending on the context. Crossed views.

In a now-famous dispute, the philosophers Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) and Benjamin Constant (1767-1830) each defended their point of view on the possibility of lying or not lying in society. In 1795, Kant published Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals, a work in which he set out his theory of duty. For him, telling the truth is an imperative to be respected in all circumstances, even if the consequences are unfortunate. To illustrate this, Kant uses the example of an individual who must confess to the assassins pursuing his friend that he is indeed covering up for them. In 1796, Constant published Le Droit de mentir, a short, pro