Replay: Should you lie to your kids about Santa Claus? When is a white lie ok?

The Morality of Everyday Things: An Everyday Philosophy Podcast

Old description:

Is the Santa myth just harmless fun, or should we be honest to our kids about Saint Nick?

In this very festive episode, Jake and Ant discuss the morality of lying to children about Santa Claus. They start with a brief history of the character's origins, including Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas and even Odin. Then they go over the origins of the tradition of teaching children of Santa's literal existence and the reasons for doing it.

After that, they discuss the potential benefits of the fiction, as well as the potential harms, before bringing up several philosophical frameworks and what they have to say about lying to children in addition to lying in general. They end the discussion by talking about the lessons that the Santa myth may inadvertently teach children, as well as alternatives to lying to children that don't deprive kids of the fun of the Santa story.

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