On Lying, “Strictly Speaking”

What is involved in lying? This chapter focuses on the defense of three claims. First, deceptive intent is not a necessary condition for lying in general, even though deceptive intent is a defining feature of prototypical lies. Second, while ordinary folk might regard (non-logical) implying as a potential vehicle for lying in a “loose” sense, saying is required for lying in a “strict” sense. Third, the aptness of the descriptor “liar” depends, in part, on whether deceptive intent was present during the presumptive lie. Additionally, the relevance of experimental studies to philosophical accounts of lying is discussed, as is the potential philosophical importance of how we (as ordinary speakers vs. philosophical theorists) think and speak about those who lie: about those whom we think of (and refer to) as “liars,” and those whom we don’t.