Evasion (ethics)

Evasion is, in ethics, an act that deceives by stating a true statement that is irrelevant or leads to a false conclusion.

For instance, a man knows that another man is in a room in the building because he heard him, but in answer to a question, says, "I have not seen him," thereby falsely implying that he does not know.

Evasion is described as a way to fulfill an obligation to tell the truth while keeping secrets from those not entitled to know the truth, but is considered unethical unless there are grave reasons for withholding the truth.

Evasions are closely related to equivocations and mental reservations; indeed, some statements fall under both descriptions.

Peter Bull identified the following evasion techniques for answering questions:

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