Ethical Responsibility and public speaker

Ethics is defined as questions concerning the concepts of right versus wrong and good versus evil; in addition, ethics focuses on the nature of moral obligation. Principles of persuasion (or rethorical principles) like all principles addressing human behaviour – are amoral in and of themselves. More specifically, they can be used for purposes that are evil or good.

Four different approaches regarding the bases of ethical behaviour exist in this county today:

• ends-justofy-means approach
• social utility approach
• situation ethics approach
• credibility-centered approach

Ends-justofy-means approach

When speakers believe the ends justify the means in attaining their goals, they adopt the position that any available means of persuasion may be used as long as the end result is honorable, just, or desirable. As a result of such a belief, however, speakers who take this position may distort the truth, conceal motives, twist reasoning, or make emotional appeals in order to prevent their listeners from making their own rational decisions. The major flaw in this approach to ethics is that the speaker often believes that he or she has either the right or the ability to make such decisions.

Social Utility Approach

When taking a social utility approach to ethics, speakers determine whic programs to advocate, based on their perceptions of needs of a particular group. More specifically, they address two major questions in developing a program or message:

• What program (or message) would most benefit the target group?
• What are the possible effects on other groups involved?

Situation Ethics Approach

The approach taken by a proponent of situation ethics is that consideration must be given to the nature of each individual situation before determining the »best« or »most loving« things to do. As a function of such goals, four factors are usually taken into account:

• The desired end
• The means that are to be used to achieved that end
• The motive behind the act
• The consequences of the action

Credibility-Centered Approach

In using this approach, the speaker comes to the public communication setting with the objective of demonstrating, through particular methods, his or her competence and trustworthiness. As a result, the speaker:

• constructs a rational basis for argument based on a thorough review of all available information;
• presents evidence accurately;
• uses sound reasoning;
• Retains objectivity with regard to groups or organizations with which he or she is affiliated;
• gives credit to all sources of information;
• stands firm of convictions;
• acknowledges when information is incomplete;
• avoids oversimplification;
• avoids the arousal of emotions on irrelevant bases.

Perhaps this approach to public speaking contains the most effective overall treatment of ethics. However, it is up to individual speakers to determine their own approach to achieving specific goals and objectives – after addressing the ethical considerations.

Ethics are separate from law and are based on our moral, and not our legal, system. It is up to every speaker to examine his or her own ethics and those of the speech before it is presented.