Quintilian and the Lie

As we have discussed in class, Quintilian is an avid supporter of morality as an essential part of oratory. He goes so far as to claim that a true orator must be a good man (Quintilian 389). What it means to be a good man, however, is not easy to determine. Morality, after all, is relative. What can an orator do and still be considered a good man?

According to Quintilian, one of the things a good man can do is lie when he thinks it is moral to do so. He writes that "a good man may sometimes think proper to tell a lie, and occasionally even in matters of small moment" (417). Quintilian makes sure that his readers know that the same opinion has been held by "the greatest masters of wisdom" (417). But is it really fair for a single orator to determine what is moral to lie about? What makes his determinations concerning morality superior to those he believes it is necessary to lie to?

One specific example that Quintilian gives involves lying to a judge to make an accused person appear innocent if the orator determines the person being tried acted justly when committing a criminal act (417). This places a great deal of power in the hands of the orator, who is given the opportunity to judge the situation in place of the judge whose job it is to do so. But apparently the orator is just making sure justice is done, because he thinks others can't handle the truth. And maybe they can't, like one of the speakers in the video below claims.

 



In cases where people lie because they think they are protecting and serving others, I often don't know whether they are being moral or not. People can do a lot of damage trying to do what they believe is right; Hitler is always an example I think of in these instances. So, is a good man defined by his own views of morality? If so, aren't most misguided people still moral?