Final answer:
According to Kant's moral philosophy, lying is never morally justified because it cannot be universalized and it fails to respect others as ends in themselves. His categorical imperative clearly states that only actions which can be made into a universal law can be considered moral, and lying fundamentally contradicts this principle.
Step-by-step explanation:
When asked whether Kant believed that there are circumstances where lying is morally justified, we must clarify Kant's position on moral philosophy, and the answer is false. Kant developed the categorical imperative as a foundational principle in moral philosophy. The most relevant aspect when discussing the morality of lying is the universal law formulation of the categorical imperative, which states: "Act only according to that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it become a universal law." In essence, if an action cannot be universalized—meaning that society cannot function if everyone were to adopt that action as a rule—it cannot be considered moral. Lying thus fails to meet the standard of universalizability because if everyone lied, trust and effective communication would be impossible, which are essential for a functioning society.
Moreover, Kant's humanity formulation insists on treating rational beings - which includes oneself and others - as ends in themselves, never merely as means to an end. Lying to someone fails to acknowledge them as autonomous rational beings capable of making their own decisions based on truthful information, thus disrespecting their inherent value. Therefore, according to Kant's ethical framework, lying is never morally justified regardless of the situation or potential consequences, because it fails to respect the dignity of others as rational agents and cannot be universalized.