Revealing a Secret

The decision of keeping a secret or not is a real dilemma. Hiding information about certain acts that you have witnessed or even acts that you were commanded to do can be quite difficult. Things like doing espionage for the sake of your nation, killing innocent people in war or recruiting agents from another nation to betray their nation on behalf of mine. Killing enemies of the state. Torturing prisoners to get information that could be crucial for the survival of our people. Risking the life of people in medical experiments. These are some acts that involve our national security that are normally kept ‘secret’. In addition to the day to day of our lives, we are also confronted in our inner self with episodes that confront us with a moral dilemma. For example, witnessing my brother or brother’s wife cheating, seeing the assassination of my neighbor by a friend of mine or surprising a catholic priest having intimacy with a woman or a man, and so on.

To reveal a secret is something that is in your power, Epictetus claims. Is this dilemma a matter of duty or a matter of will? Kant stated that in order to have moral worth an action must be done from duty but, he continued, the moral worth of this action is not in the purpose that this action would achieve, but in the maxim by which it is determined. ‘Its moral value, therefore, does not depend on the realization of the object of the action but merely on the principle or volition by which the action is done without any regard to the objects of the faculty of desire.” (Kant)

So the act of revealing a secret or not should be done according to our principles, not to the object of the action itself. Nevertheless, this principle must have, according to Kant, the qualification of a good will. “That is, the will is a faculty of choosing only that which reason, independently of inclination, recognizes as practically necessary.” (Kant). To illustrate Kant’s definition of good will, let’s say that a homeless person on the street asks you for money. If you say to yourself, I should help the needy, so let me give him or her a couple of dollars. This is good will, if you say to yourself, this man or woman needs help, he or she must be hungry, let me give him or her a couple of dollars to buy some food. This is not classified as a good will.

In reference to events that take place at a government level, most of the time, they only focus on the end objectives without taking into consideration the means they will use or sacrifices it would entail reaching those goals. “Tragic choices are inevitable to some degree in intelligence work. The challenge, then, is to specify intelligence goals and manage operations in ways that recognize the myriad ethical issues at stake, in order to minimize the occurrence of avoidable tragedy.” (Perry, 1995).

We have to keep in mind that we have the right to life, freedom and the pursuit of happiness. Yet, we also have the responsibility to respect other’s rights. So, let us follow Kant’s conclusion about our actions “Act so that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of another, always as an end and never as a mean only.” 

The Bible offers a synthesis in the following verses, about what good will is and how we are supposed to act: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:6-8)

In conclusion, when the time came for me to consider whether revealing a secret was ethical or not, I’d have to take into account whether the action I was going to take was motivated by good will. That it is to say, that it has not been my emotions, feelings or appreciations that have pushed me to reveal or hide certain information or events that I have performed or witnessed. Sometimes, a utilitarian approach -for the benefit of the greatest number- should be considered. You may also consider a deontological perspective, which focuses on the rightness or wrongness of the actions themselves. Also, you may take into consideration a consequentialist perspective, which bases its decision on the rightness or wrongness of the consequences of those actions.

Let us not mistake “Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” (Luke 12:2-3).

REFERENCES

1. Newton, Lisa H. Ethics in America: Study Guide. 2^nd. Ed. New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2004.
   
2. 1. Newton, Lisa H. Ethics in America: Source Reader. 2^nd. Ed. New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2004.
   
3. Perry, David L. ""Repugnant Philosophy": Ethics, Espionage, and Covert Action. In: Journal of Conflict Studies." Vol 15, No 1 (1995). Web. 2 May 2015.
   <http://journals.hil.unb.ca/index.php/JCS/article/view/4597/5438>.
   
4. Mahon, James E. 'Kant on Keeping a Secret', Listening: Journal of Religion and Culture 44 (2009), 21-36. Web 2 May 2015.