Lies That Bind

Blum's charming and thoughtful Lies That Bind [takes] up the challenge to explain differences in behavior without saying that Chinese are just peculiar. Blum studies the expectations and beliefs regarding lying and honesty not only in China but everywhere. * Asiamedia * Lies That Bind is an insightful book, which explores the complex ideology of truth, lies and deception in China and beyond. . . . Overall, this is a very enjoyable book to read, and could be used in courses on reality and fiction in Chinese literature, society and history. * The China Journal * Charming and thoughtful. * Froginawell.Com * A fascinating book that takes a comparative look at the social meanings and implications of various kinds of truths and untruths in China. . . . Blums arguments are convincingly illustrated with a plethora of rich, insightful examples. . . . Lies That Bind is a groundbreaking book that should be of interest to anyone interested in Chinese culture, sociolinguistics, or the nature of human discourse. It is also well-written, engaging, and very enjoyable to read. * American Ethnologist * Kant claimed that lying was always immoral. George Washington, according to Parson Weems (who may not have been telling the truth), said, 'I cannot tell a lie.' Jesus of Nazareth promised that 'Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.' What happens when this primordial moral value (often skirted in real everyday practice, of course) encounters a different set of cultural precepts? With acute observation, wit, and subtle comparisons, Susan Blum explores the difficult zone between what is and what ought to be in journeys across ambiguous cultural territory. Lies That Bind records the 'experiments with truth' that make up the anthropologist's education. -- Haun Saussy, Yale University

Susan D. Blum is associate professor of anthropology at the University of Notre Dame.

Part I: Deception and Truth Chapter 1: Truth, Lying, and Deception: Blum's Maxims for China Part II: China Present Chapter 2: Tricks and Traps: Deception and Protective Cleverness Chapter 3: For Their Own Good: Benevolent Deception and Flattery Chapter 4: State Secrets and Fakes: The True, the Real, the Transparent, and the Squelched Chapter 5: Longing for Honesty Part III: China Past Chapter 6: Crooked and Straight: Right Action and Strategy in Premodern China Chapter 7: A Social Theory of Truth: Language in Revolutionary China Part IV: Humanity and Language Chapter 8: Truth and Deception across Time and Space Chapter 9: Knowing How to Play with Words and Minds Appendix: Theoretical Foundations and Implications