Now, when it comes to the issue of lying to one to save the life of another, an often-cited "extreme" example of circumstance that justifies lying would be for if a Nazi officer was coming to your home and asking if you were hiding Jews... it's generally regarded as a sufficient justification for lying, and I agree; saving the lives of innocents is easily worth lying to someone, especially if it's someone who obviously deserves to be lied to. At worst it's a violation of the principle of honesty, but I think saving innocent lives justifies it.
With lying to save someone from themselves, however, we're dealing with a somewhat different issue. I still think it's justified even then, (or at least in the kind of circumstances portrayed in said "House" episode) but at the same time I could easily imagine almost-convincing counterarguments... such as the idea that if the truth leads someone to suicide, and it takes a lie to talk them out of it, then they ought to go where the truth takes them. Personally, though, I'd consider that a little TOO truth-centric an approach.
This isn't necessarily the only reason, of course, it's just an example of a reason in the opposite direction from what I'm otherwise inclined to think; that even lying is justified if it's in the name of trying to convince someone not to end their own life.
What do you think?
