{"id":479,"date":"2015-02-18T17:59:23","date_gmt":"2015-02-18T17:59:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/publicspeaking1xmaster\/?post_type=chapter&p=479"},"modified":"2019-03-06T13:01:05","modified_gmt":"2019-03-06T13:01:05","slug":"chapter-3-defining-ethics","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytechcomm101-publicspeaking-statewide\/chapter\/chapter-3-defining-ethics\/","title":{"raw":"Ethical Speaking: Defining Ethics","rendered":"Ethical Speaking: Defining Ethics"},"content":{"raw":"But I want to say one thing <\/em>to the American people. I <\/em>want you to listen to me. I\u2019m\u00a0<\/em>going to say this again: I\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>did not have sexual <\/em><\/strong>relations with that woman<\/em><\/strong>, <\/em>Miss Lewinsky. I never told <\/em>anybody to lie, not a single <\/em>time; never. These <\/em>allegations are false. And I <\/em>need to go back to work for the American people. Thank <\/em>you. <\/em>~ President Bill Clinton, <\/em>1998<\/em>\r\n\r\nSome of the early leaders in philosophy\u2014Aristotle, Socrates, and Plato\u2014spoke extensively about morality and ethical principles. Aristotle is frequently cited as a central figure in the development of ethics as we discuss them today in the communication discipline. Aristotle claimed that a person who had ethos, or credibility, was not only able to convey good sense and good will, but also good morals. Great philosophers have debated the merits of living well, doing good, and even communicating skillfully. Smitter describes early Greeks and Romans as teachers of public speaking; these philosophers argued that public communication is \u201ca means of civic engagement\u201d and ethics are \u201ca matter of virtue.\" Ethics and ethical communication are not only an important part of our lives and our decision-making but also are crucial to the public speaking process. In 2011, when Representative Anthony Weiner faced accusations of sending sexually explicit photographs to a woman, he vehemently denied any wrongdoing and claimed that he had been set up. Shortly after, his denial turned to an admission and apology. This scandal called into question the ethics of Rep. Weiner, yet it was also his lack of ethical communication that exacerbated the situation.\r\n\r\nMoral excellence comes\u00a0<\/em>about as a result of habit. We\u00a0<\/em>become just by doing just\u00a0<\/em>acts, temperate by doing\u00a0<\/em>temperate acts, brave by\u00a0<\/em>doing brave acts. <\/em>~ Aristotle<\/em>\r\n\r\nEthics and Ethical Standards<\/strong>\r\n\r\nMorality is the process of discerning between right and wrong. Ethics involves making decisions about right and wrong within a dilemma. For example, you might claim that stealing is morally wrong. But is stealing morally wrong when a mother steals a loaf of bread to feed her four starving children? It\u2019s this scenario that requires an understanding of ethics. In a moral dilemma, we apply ethics to make choices about what is good or bad, right or wrong. Sometimes, ethical dilemmas are simple. Other times, they require complex choices, such as the decision to report your immediate boss for misrepresenting expenses or the decision to move your grandmother into a retirement community. These scenarios are more complex than simple choices between right and wrong. Instead, these examples are ethical dilemmas because two \u201cright\u201d choices are pitted against one another. It\u2019s good to report an unethical supervisor, but it\u2019s also good to keep your job. It\u2019s good that your grandmother feels independent, but it\u2019s also positive for her to receive extra assistance as her health deteriorates.\r\n\r\nAs public speakers, we make ethical choices when preparing and delivering a speech. We can easily be faced with a moral dilemma over what information to provide or how to accurately represent that information. Knowing the speaking setting, the audience, and our knowledge of the topic, we are able to confront ethical dilemmas with a strong moral compass. This process is made easier by our ethical standards. Ethical standards, or moral principles, are the set of rules we abide by that make us \u201cgood\u201d people and help us choose right from wrong. The virtuous standards to which we adhere influence our ethical understanding. For instance, followers of Buddha believe that communication should be careful\u2014good communication should exhibit restraint, responsibility, and kindness.[footnote]Merrill, J. C. (2009). Tenzin Gyatso, the Dalai Lama: Universal compassion. In C. Christians & J. Merrill (Eds.), Ethical communication<\/em> (pp. 11\u2013<\/span>17). Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press. [\/footnote]\r\n\r\nIf you want others to be\u00a0<\/em>happy, practice compassion.\u00a0<\/em>If you want to be happy,\u00a0<\/em>practice compassion.\u00a0<\/em>~ Dalai Lama<\/em>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1818\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"148\"]\"Golden<\/a> \"Emerald Buddha\"<\/a> by WPPilot. CC-BY-SA<\/a>.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThis stance informs one\u2019s ethical standards. In fact, Merrill (2009) explains that the holy Dalai Lama, the Buddhist spiritual leader, believes compassion is even more essential than truth. Therefore, it is justifiable to be untruthful when the deception is part of the process of caring for another. This example illustrates how one\u2019s belief system influences his or her ethical standards. These ethical standards are the guidelines we use to interpret rightness and wrongness in life, in relationships, and in public speaking. Wallace claims that \u201cethical standards of communication should place emphasis upon the means used to secure the end, rather than upon achieving the end itself.\u201d[footnote]Wallace, K. (1955). An ethical basis of communication. Speech Teacher<\/em>, 4<\/em>, 1\u20139. [\/footnote] This argument suggests that speakers must consider moral standards through every step of the speech process.\r\n\r\n\u201cQuestions of right and wrong arise whenever people communicate.\u201d[footnote]National Communication Association. (1999). NCA credo for ethical communication. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.natcom.org\/uploadedFiles\/About_NCA\/Leadership_and_Governance\/Public_Policy_Platform\/PDF-PolicyPlatformNCA_Credo_for_Ethical_Communication.pdf<\/a> [\/footnote] Once we have identified our ethical standards, we can apply these to make sure that we are communicating ethically. Ethical communication is an exchange of responsible and trustworthy messages determined by our moral principles. Ethical communication can be enacted in written, oral, and non-verbal communication. In public speaking, we use ethical standards to determine what and how to exchange messages with our audience. As you read further in this chapter, you will begin to understand the guidelines for how ethical communication should occur in the public speaking process.","rendered":"

But I want to say one thing <\/em>to the American people. I <\/em>want you to listen to me. I\u2019m\u00a0<\/em>going to say this again: I\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>did not have sexual <\/em><\/strong>relations with that woman<\/em><\/strong>, <\/em>Miss Lewinsky. I never told <\/em>anybody to lie, not a single <\/em>time; never. These <\/em>allegations are false. And I <\/em>need to go back to work for the American people. Thank <\/em>you. <\/em>~ President Bill Clinton, <\/em>1998<\/em><\/p>\n

Some of the early leaders in philosophy\u2014Aristotle, Socrates, and Plato\u2014spoke extensively about morality and ethical principles. Aristotle is frequently cited as a central figure in the development of ethics as we discuss them today in the communication discipline. Aristotle claimed that a person who had ethos, or credibility, was not only able to convey good sense and good will, but also good morals. Great philosophers have debated the merits of living well, doing good, and even communicating skillfully. Smitter describes early Greeks and Romans as teachers of public speaking; these philosophers argued that public communication is \u201ca means of civic engagement\u201d and ethics are \u201ca matter of virtue.” Ethics and ethical communication are not only an important part of our lives and our decision-making but also are crucial to the public speaking process. In 2011, when Representative Anthony Weiner faced accusations of sending sexually explicit photographs to a woman, he vehemently denied any wrongdoing and claimed that he had been set up. Shortly after, his denial turned to an admission and apology. This scandal called into question the ethics of Rep. Weiner, yet it was also his lack of ethical communication that exacerbated the situation.<\/p>\n

Moral excellence comes\u00a0<\/em>about as a result of habit. We\u00a0<\/em>become just by doing just\u00a0<\/em>acts, temperate by doing\u00a0<\/em>temperate acts, brave by\u00a0<\/em>doing brave acts. <\/em>~ Aristotle<\/em><\/p>\n

Ethics and Ethical Standards<\/strong><\/p>\n

Morality is the process of discerning between right and wrong. Ethics involves making decisions about right and wrong within a dilemma. For example, you might claim that stealing is morally wrong. But is stealing morally wrong when a mother steals a loaf of bread to feed her four starving children? It\u2019s this scenario that requires an understanding of ethics. In a moral dilemma, we apply ethics to make choices about what is good or bad, right or wrong. Sometimes, ethical dilemmas are simple. Other times, they require complex choices, such as the decision to report your immediate boss for misrepresenting expenses or the decision to move your grandmother into a retirement community. These scenarios are more complex than simple choices between right and wrong. Instead, these examples are ethical dilemmas because two \u201cright\u201d choices are pitted against one another. It\u2019s good to report an unethical supervisor, but it\u2019s also good to keep your job. It\u2019s good that your grandmother feels independent, but it\u2019s also positive for her to receive extra assistance as her health deteriorates.<\/p>\n

As public speakers, we make ethical choices when preparing and delivering a speech. We can easily be faced with a moral dilemma over what information to provide or how to accurately represent that information. Knowing the speaking setting, the audience, and our knowledge of the topic, we are able to confront ethical dilemmas with a strong moral compass. This process is made easier by our ethical standards. Ethical standards, or moral principles, are the set of rules we abide by that make us \u201cgood\u201d people and help us choose right from wrong. The virtuous standards to which we adhere influence our ethical understanding. For instance, followers of Buddha believe that communication should be careful\u2014good communication should exhibit restraint, responsibility, and kindness.[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

If you want others to be\u00a0<\/em>happy, practice compassion.\u00a0<\/em>If you want to be happy,\u00a0<\/em>practice compassion.\u00a0<\/em>~ Dalai Lama<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Golden<\/a><\/p>\n

“Emerald Buddha”<\/a> by WPPilot. CC-BY-SA<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

This stance informs one\u2019s ethical standards. In fact, Merrill (2009) explains that the holy Dalai Lama, the Buddhist spiritual leader, believes compassion is even more essential than truth. Therefore, it is justifiable to be untruthful when the deception is part of the process of caring for another. This example illustrates how one\u2019s belief system influences his or her ethical standards. These ethical standards are the guidelines we use to interpret rightness and wrongness in life, in relationships, and in public speaking. Wallace claims that \u201cethical standards of communication should place emphasis upon the means used to secure the end, rather than upon achieving the end itself.\u201d[2]<\/sup><\/a> This argument suggests that speakers must consider moral standards through every step of the speech process.<\/p>\n

\u201cQuestions of right and wrong arise whenever people communicate.\u201d[3]<\/sup><\/a> Once we have identified our ethical standards, we can apply these to make sure that we are communicating ethically. Ethical communication is an exchange of responsible and trustworthy messages determined by our moral principles. Ethical communication can be enacted in written, oral, and non-verbal communication. In public speaking, we use ethical standards to determine what and how to exchange messages with our audience. As you read further in this chapter, you will begin to understand the guidelines for how ethical communication should occur in the public speaking process.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div>