Lying : an Augustinian theology of duplicity /

According to Griffiths (Catholic studies, Univ. of Illinois, Chicago; Religious Reading), St. Augustine provided the first fully Christian position on lying and one of the first truly systematic examinations of the subject in Western thought. The uniqueness of his argument rests on an ontological rather than a moral argument against lying. He argues that to lie knowingly, however morally justifiable it may seem to be, is to rupture the image of God in man and is therefore always sinful. The first part of this scholarly work carefully expounds Augustine's understanding of the lie in five chapters: "Lying," "Being," "Sinning," "Disowning," and "Storytelling." Part 2 examines the positions of other philosophers, including Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Kant, and Nietzsche, "through the spectacles of the Augustinian view." The final section looks briefly at the social implications of a nonlying community. This is an excellent piece of scholarship that will intrigue anyone interested in the issues of morality and ethics, though it may be over the heads of the general public. Recommendsed for academic and large public libraries with reader interest.-C. Robert Nixon, M.L.S., Lafayette, IN (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.