Moral Anarchopathology of Lies (2/3):

 Moral Anarchopathology of Lies (2/3):

Politicians’ Lies — A Sword Against Truth and Freedom

Mahmoud Sadeghi Janbahan

Translation by ChatGPT / Maryam Sadeghi

From Cain to Freedom-Hostile Politics: The Ruthless Threat of Lies to Ethics and Dignity

In the framework of moral anarchopathology, lies are not necessarily confined to the realm of individual action and personal responsibility; they constitute a historical legacy and a fundamental instrument of domination. Their roots can be traced to Cain’s primordial deceit — a lie deployed not merely to conceal a crime, but to safeguard personal position and authority. Since then, lying has become the shared language of all power structures: a language that conceals truth to preserve the hierarchies of domination, manifesting in multiple forms across history.

From the earliest power-driven deceptions to the modern narratives of politicians, social managers, self-proclaimed intellectuals, and political operatives, lies have functioned as a connective tissue in the reproduction of injustice and inequality, the corrosion of moral integrity, and the destruction of cognitive and moral courage. This historical continuity reveals that lying is not simply a psychological phenomenon, but an inherent feature of the political nature of domination. As in patriarchal, authoritarian, capitalist-liberal, and ideologically regimented systems, the distortion of truth remains one of the primary instruments for controlling public consciousness and neutralizing collective will.

In this perspective, lying is not merely a deviation from truth; it is a structural and systematic threat to emancipatory ethics, collective trust, and human dignity. Every political lie opens a deep fissure in the moral fabric of society — a fissure which, if left unrepaired, leads to the collapse of trust and the onset of public passivity. Lies, by eroding transparency and accountability, transform citizens into passive spectators, stripped of the energy to protest and the moral defiance to stand against injustice.

Moral anarchopathology asserts that confronting this phenomenon requires a three-pronged strategy:

1. Expose the mechanisms of lying within political and social systems, particularly at the level of official discourse.
2. Cultivate a dignity-centered moral praxis capable of speaking truth and upholding justice even under conditions of repression.
3. Establish continuous oversight and critique of power structures grounded in transparency and shared accountability.

Ultimately, from Cain to contemporary political practice, a continuous red thread can be discerned: wherever lies flourished, domination was reproduced; wherever truth remained alive and dynamic, the possibility of freedom emerged. Purging lies from politics is a precondition for emancipatory politics.

Lies and the Threat to Moral Courage

Moral courage — and its counterpart, moral capitulation — are foundational pillars of anarchology of ethics in interpreting phenomena from an ethical standpoint. Moral courage empowers both individuals and communities to stand against oppression, distortion, and discrimination, to proclaim truth even when it exacts a high cost. Lies, by planting seeds of doubt and distorting reality, weaken this pillar. When truth becomes obscured, the capacity to distinguish right from wrong deteriorates, dragging ethical action into a terrain of uncertainty and confusion.

This process cannot be reduced solely to its psychological dimension — though that is decisive — but is also structural and systemic. Any system or individual that lies systematically contaminates the moral environment and drains actors of the will and resolve to resist injustice.

A researcher who censors or manipulates social data undermines not only scientific truth but also the trust and moral courage of activists, scholars, and even public opinion. In such an environment, every act of protest or reform rests upon an incomplete or falsified image of reality, thereby reducing the possibility of genuine change.

Lies and the Erosion of Collective Trust

Trust forms the foundation of any society built upon ethics, dignity, and emancipation. This trust is not merely a private sentiment but a form of social capital enabling cooperation, solidarity, and collective action. Lies — particularly when systematic and organized — erode and ultimately destroy this capital.

When trust collapses, social relations are poisoned by suspicion and mistrust. Individuals, instead of engaging actively in collective projects, retreat into isolation or unhealthy competition. In such an atmosphere, even moral courage becomes marginalized, as actors feel alone and unsupported, fearing that every collective endeavor may be met with betrayal or distortion.

International organizations that manipulate scientific data, humanitarian statistics, or crisis-related figures for political or economic purposes not only damage scientific credibility, but also rupture the bonds of trust among member states, local institutions, and civil society. The outcome is diminished global cooperation, deepening mistrust among nations, and the inability to respond effectively to crises.

Reference

Sadeghi Janbahan, M. (2025). Moral Anarchopathology of Lies (2/3): Politicians’ Lies — A Sword Against Truth and Freedom. Retrieved August 14, 2025, from https://anarchology.blogfa.com