Veracity-Truthfulness according to Leonardo Polo

Abstract

The article addresses the virtue of veracity-truthfulness in the thought of Leonardo Polo. First, it describes its nature and types (linguistic and labor). Second, it reviews the bad habits that are contrary to this virtue: error, lie, unjustified silence and duplicity. Third, it shows some advantages that come with having it: happiness, audacity, increase of common good and love for truth. This topic is discussed because lie, in all the possible manifestations, is a major issue the contemporary society, which not only is increasing, but also disrupts the language and community. Therefore, the purpose of the research is to review every pertinent work by Leonardo Polo regarding both the virtue of truthfulness and its contrary bad habit, lie; and, also, the consequences that come with this virtue. The research is framed within ethics, which is second to transcendental anthropology, because if the Thomist distinction between actus essendi and essentia is accepted, ethics becomes the manifestation of the act of being of humans within the essence of humans, which can perfect or degrade such essence. The research follows a theoretical method because according to Aristotle “the life according to reason is best and pleasantest”; thus, the only truth method would be for the being to put everything on the line and find out what is the cause of truthfulness, and of its virtuous and vicious manifestations. It concludes that the cause of the lack of truthfulness, lie, is the depersonalization or progressive loss of the act of being human. Bearing this on mind, for our society this involves being in a permanent state of crisis.