Myth and Deception: (Personal Reflection)

 

In PHIL 384, which Dr. Redick graciously allowed me to override, we discussed the differences between lying and deception. A lie is defined as “an intentionally false statement” (Oxford Language Dictionary). This definition is consistent with general usage of the word. Deception is simply “a thing that deceives.” These meanings seem identical to uninitiated but are distinct. In Medical Ethics, we discussed who a doctor might inject a saline solution to see if a patient is inventing pain to prevent the maldistribution of resources and curb drug abuse. The physician never, ethically, tells the patient “this is saline” but they use it to test the patient’s reaction. If the placebo cures it, then the patient is lying about pain and of course if the pain remains, the patient actually may need painkillers. This positive deception is used to subvert our concepts to reach “the real.” Nathan deceived King David, but did not lie to him. Myth can be a deceiver which can be used to discover truth.