A Pack of Lies
A Pack of Lies
$60.00
USDDefining lies as statements that are intended to deceive, this book considers the contexts in which people tell lies and explores the consequences. The author looks at societies with distinctive religious and ethical traditions where lying is the norm. He also shows how children acquire the capacity to lie at an early age, and learn when it is appropriate to do so. In conclusion, Professor Barnes argues that people are inclined to tell the truth, for apart from the question of morality, there are pragmatic reasons for doing so.
- An original study exploring the reasons why people lie
- An accessible, well-written style by a well-known author
- Previous Press author
Reviews & endorsements
"Barnes composes a vision of lying that interlaces material from an impressive array of sources...The typology of lies expostulated in the book could possibly provide researchers with a foil for generating testable hypotheses." Mark L. Harvey, Comtemporary Psychology
"...an impeccably scholarly survey...." Contemporary Sociology
Product details
March 2011Adobe eBook Reader
9780511884597
0 pages
0kg
This ISBN is for an eBook version which is distributed on our behalf by a third party.
Table of Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- l. What is a lie? 2. Where lies are expected
- 3. Ambiguous domains
- 4. Science
- 5. Cultural diversity
- 6. Structural relations
- 7. Self-deception and connivance in deceit
- 8. Telling and detecting lies
- 9. Benign untruths: the discourse of fiction
- l0. Evaluations
- 11. Do we have to lie?.
