The book Short History of Ethics brings out the correlation between the philosophy of communication and communication ethics. Rhetoric and philosophy of communication theory challenge the assumption of effective communication on an assertion that philosophy is subversive. The book views the inability to think philosophically as promoting biasness and prejudice as accepted communication ethics. The philosophy of communication diversely presents communication ethics as a guide to society.
Short History of Ethics gives a broad theoretical knowledge on the rhetoric and philosophy of communication’s role in formulating communication ethics. The differences between communication ethics and their importance. Rhetoric and philosophy of communication theory form the basis of communication ethics. The philosophy claims ethics formulation should align with people’s social life and continuously updated with the constantly changing lifestyle while appreciating the diversity in social norms. In understanding a society, grasping the meaning of words is key to ensuring that ethics align with society’s way of life.
The philosophies emphasize the need to base moral judgment on accepted social norms and not misconceptions. MacIntyre clearly illustrates this by claiming the Greek society used the Homeric poems to teach society’s accepted ethics and guide leaders in discharging their social functions as kings and judges (5). The rhetoric and philosophy of communication are vital since they provide a clear path for qualitative research on ethics. The research entails gathering information and insight on society’s lifestyle. The philosophy research focuses on questioning, reading, writing, editing, thinking, and interpretation of a particular aspect of communication. The main differences in communication ethics result from the diverse perspectives of rhetoric and philosophy of communication. The differences make it difficult to have standard communications ethics due to misinterpretation from one society to another.
There are central scholarly questions that guide the book. These questions are what is morally right and wrong? What classifies a value as morally right and wrong? The philosophies ascertain that there is no clear way to distinguish between morally right and wrong since there are diverse opinions concerning a virtue. The book shows that the concept of justice is hard to classify in ancient Greece and the contemporary Western world. It claims that it is wrong to impose personal views on what is moral to others instead allow people to make their own decisions.
The central theme of the book is morals. In ancient Greece, philosophical analysis formed the discussion of morally upright and wrong concepts. A king earned the term ‘agathos’ to mean good if they succeeded in battles, while in the Western world, the king could be good without being a leader in battles (MacIntyre 6). The author assumes that the contemporary world neglect history when determining morally right and wrong. The author shows a firm stand that moral concepts should be on philosophical queries and ethics history. There is the need to repair our lives morally by examining moral history to have a clear perspective of ethically right and wrong.
The book shows relevance to communication and the marketplace in various ways. Moral values and philosophy facilitate communication by establishing a common discerning between right and wrong (MacIntyre 9). Ethical communication ensures accountability by laying the basis for forming policies to govern institutions. The policies prevent conflicts of interest in the marketplace and promote honest communication. These policies in the marketplace help run organizations by establishing efficient communication channels between employees and their employers. Ethical norms build trust and integrity in historical research by eliminating communication barriers. They also promote social responsibility, compliance with the law, respect for human rights, safety, and public health.
The book brings out the importance of the principles of ethical communication. These principles include honesty that advocates for conveying accurate information without alteration. Active listening for clarity, speaking non-judgmental to prevent unnecessary critics that cause a breakdown in communication and accepting responsibility for action resulting from passing morally wrong information. The book also emphasizes using philosophical perspectives to accommodate the diverse society lifestyle that determines the choice of words for ethical communication. Thus, Short History of Ethics fully promotes honest communication by creating the need to study the history of ethics to improve our moral lives.
Work Cited
MacIntyre, Alasdair C. A Short History of Ethics: By Alasdair Macintyre. Macmillan, 1976.