We are now faced with the usual limitations we have with language. “Truth” in the context I have been using it is a commitment to seeking, honoring, and presenting facts with sincerity of action, character, and utterance in the context of trust with one's self, one’s fellows, and society at large.
Deception against an enemy? There is a poorly understood, or misunderstood, contradiction of terms here. The basis for being truthful is bound to a foundation of trust.
In a court proceeding, the defendant, especially if a poor minority, often has no relationship of trust with the judicial system or society at large. So by your definition, they are perfectly entitled to lie, or in your phrase "to match wits outside the parameters of truth." |
