Chapter 6: Ethical Speaking

Most people fundamentally want to do what is right and so turn to ethical guidelines, including those governing the public speaking transaction. But it is not quite so simple: many obstacles lie in the way of ethical behavior. Consider the following ethical theories and how they can often contradict one another: ethical relativism argues that there are no universal ethical principles; cultural relativism is the notion that the criteria for ethical behavior in one culture should not be applied to other cultures; universalism argues that there are ethical standards that apply to all situations regardless of the individual group or culture; utilitarianism says that the aim of any action should be greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people; situational ethics says that sometimes it is necessary to set aside ethical maxims; the authors conclude that you should seek to achieve ethical ends using ethical means.

Useful ethical guidelines for speakers can be found in the National Communication Association’s Credo for Free and Responsible Communication in a Democratic Society. Among the traditional ethical norms are (1) be truthful, (2) show respect for the power of words, (3) invoke participatory democracy, (4) demonstrate tolerance for cultural diversity, (5) treat people as ends, not means, and (6) provide good reasons. Public speakers face unique ethical issues such as plagiarism, building goodwill and trustworthiness, whether or not to reveal or conceal one’s intentions, and giving a two-sided presentation. Listeners also have ethical norms. Listeners should take responsibility for the choices they make, stay informed on the issues of the day, speak out when they are convinced that a speaker is misinformed or misleading people, and be aware of their own biases.

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Quiz/Summary Index

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