This thread has promises as it's aim. Specifically, I'd like to discuss and/or debate whether or not one ought keep a promise if they make one and why or why not it is or is not the case that they ought. To begin, we must first have a good idea of what a promise consists of...

A promise consists in the performance of a speech act. During such an act, a speaker overtly expresses an intention to perform some future action. 'I promise to do X' always means that the promisor intends to do X. This holds good regardless of whether or not the promisor intends to do X. Of course, in these cases s/he is lying. If a promise is being made and the promisor does not intend to keep the promise as they're making it, then s/he is knowingly and deliberately misrepresenting their own thought/belief on the matter. That would be to say...

'I promise to do X, but I do not intend to do X'

The above is not self-contradictory. If that sounds odd then you're in good company, because it sounds odd to most folk. However, sounding odd does not make it self-contradictory. Let's look at this a bit closer, by separating the conjunction into it's basic sentences...

'I promise to do X'
'I do not intend to do X'

These two sentences can be true without the speaker contradicting him/herself. It offends our moral sensibility, but the statements are consistent with a situation where the promisor is being insincere. Thus, in cases like this the second sentence is not spoken aloud, but rather it is privately known and kept secret during the speech act. The question is why does this offend our moral sensibility?

There are many reasons for our being offended I would suppose. As many reasons as there are connections to be made. I wonder though if there is/are some basic fundamental reason(s) that underwite all of the specific ones.

Hmmm...

Not sure how this ended up in coffee haus forum. Supposed to be in philosophy.

Egads!

If a mod sees this, could s/he puhleeeze move it where it belongs?

All I can say is barring illness, or injury; I keep my promises. I will admit that keeping a promise means dragging myself to show up at a place despite the fact that I am extremely tired but I don't believe in breaking a promise. If I don't intend on doing something; I would naever make a promise in the first place and I have guts to tell someone up front rather than getting their hopes up. My word is everything to me so I don't go back on my word which is exactly what you are doing when you break a promise. To me, it is a matter of integrity.

Oh hey, a reply!

Indeed, keeping a promise is a matter of integrity. However, I think that there are times when circumstances arise that were previously unforeseen that make keeping the promise difficult if not impossible. I would also say that sometimes things change in between making the promise and keeping it that would have otherwise caused us to not make it to begin with. In short, I supposes that I'm saying that it is best to keep them, but I can envision times where it would acceptable to not.

As I said; if I am ill or injured; no I wouldn't keep the promise as I am unable to which is not the same as deciding not to do it. Even if I had second thoughts about making the promise; I would still honour it. I may be a fool but its so important that people know I keep my word.

Indeed. I would say that the reason most folk are offended by the notion of not keeping one's promise is that they have trusted that the promisor would keep their promise.

A very interesting aspect of promises is that they are not like most other kinds of statements/sentences. Most statements in order to be true must match the way the world is, whereas a promise works the other way around. By keeping a promise we make the world match the words.

If I make a Promise, I try to keep that Promise. I rarely make Promises because I try and honor a Promise if I make one. Unless something really prevents me from keeping it. I am known as a trusted friend and that is rare these days to find a truly trusted friend. IMO

I agree. I am very careful in the promises I make with people as I do feel obligated to honour it. If I have doubts about something; I would not make a promise in the first place. My pride, integrity, and trust are very important to me so breaking promises would devestate me as a person.

I would say that all folk, at some level, intuitively know how important it is to keep one's word, which is at the basis of keeping one's promise.

I would say many folk lie all the time; and think nothing of it.

Many folk do lie and think nothing of it.

However, no one likes being lied to about important matters. Society requires the opposite, or at least believing the opposite, in order to work.

if you tell someone you are going to do something it is a promise.

and IMHO it behooves one to be quite careful about making promises...so they do not have to be broken...

There is another factor you may wish to consider. In the statement, "I promise you I will never let THAT happen again!" The speaker may simply wish to acknowledge, in a familiar tone, that the event he/she experienced was unpleasant. The listener may hear "I PROMISE I will NEVER let that happen again!" which has a more serious tone. To the listener, the utterance is construed a an overt statement.

I think we forgive broken promises more easily than lying because we know there is difficulty associated determining if enough effort was put toward a keeping the promise.

When someone is lying, they are exercising a type of unwanted control over you. It is a kind of rape. The result in society is that it contributes to confusion and inefficiency. It makes sense that it is morally wrong. On a personal level, at worst you have and enemy. At best you have someone you can't take seriously.

If I make a promise without intending to make the world match my words, then I am a fraud.

Standard academic philosophy of language topic that has been mistakenly judged as something other than philosophy by one who is undoubtedly NOT philosophically well-versed. Ah well...

It's called integrity, to keep a promise, to follow through with what you promised, what you agreed to do. In my opinion very few people have it anymore. When I grew up, in the community I lived in, it was a matter of honor, self-respect, a hand shake, a man's word was as valuable as any written contract.

How can you have self respect if you don't have integrity?

By that argument you may be calling most people frauds. I think it's really a question of intent. People, especially in familiar relationships, rarely mean literally what they say.

I'm not making an argument for how people should speak. As much as possible I try to say what I mean and mean what I say. But I recognize that language and communication is imperfect.



I admit that I am not well educated in this area.