What is truth? This is the question pondered by Jude Dougherty. This philosophical question is extremely important—more important than you might think—in day-to-day ways that are reflected in how we choose to live. Read "If the Truth Be Damned," and think about the role honesty plays in your life.

1. Before you start reading, think about what truth means, and write a definition. Then write a definition for lie. As you work with the article, refer back to your definitions, and change them if your thinking about these concepts changes.

2. Dougherty asserts that there is a difference between "speaking truly and judging truly." What does he mean? Write down an instance when you believed what you were saying was true, although it wasn’t. Share your example with another student, and discuss whether in that instance your honesty was called into question.

3. Reinstate the following in plain language: "A habit of truthfulness does not exempt one from errors in judgment."

4. Questions of honesty were an important part of the 2000 presidential campaign. Al Gore frequently made claims that were untrue, while George W. Bush failed to disclose a 1976 arrest for drunken driving. Were they lying? Explain.

5. Dougherty asserts that once a person has lied, it is natural to question everything he says. For example, Bill Clinton lied about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, on television to the nation, to his cabinet, and in legal proceedings. How have his admitted falsehoods related to this subject affected his ability to lead in other areas? What issues have arisen where Clinton’s trustworthiness might have directly affected public policy (e.g., budget negotiations with Congress, diplomacy). More generally, what roles does a president play where integrity is paramount?

6. Honesty is more complicated than you might have thought before. Consider the following behaviors, and evaluate whether each is honest or not: "spin," exaggeration, deliberate falsification, accidental falsification, withholding of information, deliberate ambiguity, accidental ambiguity, and colloquialisms (such as "Have a nice day!"). Find an example of each, either from your own experience or a public event.

7. Is truth absolute and thus the same for everybody? Or is it relative, being different for different people? Support your answer with examples.

8. Define pragmatism, according to Charles Sanders Peirce and William James. What are the different consequences of each view? Find examples to prove your point.

9. Dougherty says that we develop language to describe reality. Some theorists believe the opposite: We define reality with the words we use to describe it. Which do you believe? Why?