DE MENDACIO

Lying in itself
 A moral act takes its species from its object
and its end (Q 110, a1)
 To tell the truth is to make a manifestation by
certain signs
 The object of the manifestation is either true or
false
 The end may be to tell a falsehood or to
deceive
Lying and morality
 The essence of falsehood is taken from its formality
(the end)
 A man may tell a material falsehood without
intending to lie
Division of lies (as lies) (Q 110, a2)

Lies

Boasting: Irony:
Go beyond the truth Stop short of the truth
Division of lies (as sins) (Q 110, a2)

Lies

Officious:
Mischievous:
Jocose: For usefulness, ie
For malice and
For pleasure another’s wellbeing
injury of another
or convenience
Division of lies (as regards the end)
(Q 110, a2)

Lies

Mischievous lies Lust of lying Jocose lies Officious lies

Saves a man from

Profits someone in Saves a man from
Against God Against man defilement of
saving money death
his body

Profits one,
Profits no one
Injures another
Lies and sins
 “In order for an action to be good it must be
right in every respect” (Q 110, a3)
 A lie is always evil in at least one respect, ie,
materially a falsehood is told
 Hence every lie, for whatever intention, is evil
(lacking due good) in this respect
 Lies and mortal sins (Q 110, a4)

Lies

Accidentally:
In themselves As concerns the end Mortal sin through
scandal

Against man: Not to injure another:

Against God: To injure another:
Depends upon the Venial sin
Mortal sin Mortal sin
matter (jocose & officious)
Lying and the Bible
 “Ifany of [the holy men of the Bible’s]
statements appear untruthful, we must
understand such statements to have been
figurative and prophetic” (Q 110, a3, ad3)
 “We must not judge that someone is lying if
several persons fail to describe in the same
way and the same words a thing which they
remember to have seen or heard” (Ibid, ad 1)
Specific examples
 Abraham did not lie; Sara was both his wife
and his sister
 Jacob spoke in a mystical sense when
deceiving his father
 Judith too spoke mystically when deceiving
Holofernes