Overview

Lies are often so subtle, so deftly woven into easily acceptable truths, that we can fail to recognize them. Turning Sisela Bok's defense of truth in her book Lying on its head, Jeremy Campbell argues that deception should no longer be seen as artificial or deviant, but as a natural part of our world. Beginning with a study of evolutionary biology and the necessity (and ultimate value) of deceit in the animal kingdom, Campbell asks the difficult question of whether falsehood might, in fact, be instinctual. Guiding the reader through classical philosophy to more contemporary thinkers such as Freud and Nietzsche, Campbell links a multitude of disciplines and ideas in lucid and engaging prose. Unsettling some of our most firmly held beliefs about truth and ethics, The Liar's Tale is a riveting work of intellectual history.

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9780393323610

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Reviews

"""A detailed but also lucid gallop through the various ways western philosophy has wrestled with the slippery topic of truth."" Financial Times ""There are splendid features in [Campbell's] book... Some of his portraits of individual thinkers are brilliantly drawn, compellingly written."" The Times ""Lucid, intelligent, cleverly organised and encyclopedic."" Times Literary Supplement (The Liar's Tale)."

A detailed but also lucid gallop through the various ways western philosophy has wrestled with the slippery topic of truth. Financial Times There are splendid features in [Campbell's] book... Some of his portraits of individual thinkers are brilliantly drawn, compellingly written. The Times Lucid, intelligent, cleverly organised and encyclopedic. Times Literary Supplement (The Liar's Tale).

Author Information

Jeremy Campbell is the author of The Liar’s Tale, Winston Churchill’s Afternoon Nap, and The Grammatical Man. He is the Washington correspondent for the Evening Standard and lives in Washington, DC.

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