GE ELEC 1 – Public Speaking & Persuasion

LESSON 2 – Ethics & Public Speaking

The goal of public speaking is to gain a desired response from listeners – but not at any
cost. Speechmaking is a form of power and therefore carries with it heavy ethical
responsibilities.

WHAT IS ETHICS?

ETHICS is the branch of philosophy that deals with issues of right and wrong in human
affairs.

Ethics is what guides us to tell the truth. Ethics in public speaking demands that you
should be honest and accurate in the information you are presenting to your audience.

The evolution of ethics is central to public speaking because it is through

communication that our ideas about right and wrong or good and bad are formed.

According to the National Communication Association, communicators should be

committed to the principles of ethical communication. The core principle of ethical
communication is honesty.

The word “ethics” can mean different things to different people. Whether it is an ethical
lapse in business or politics or a disagreement about medical treatments and end-of-life
choices, people come into contact with ethical dilemmas regularly.

ETHICAL DILEMMA – a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two-
courses of action

Ethics involves making decisions about right and wrong within a dilemma.

ETHICAL DECISION – involves weighing potential courses of action against a set of

ethical standards or guidelines
 In our everyday lives, we face different questions or we are put into different situations
that needs ethical decisions.

Questions of ethics also come into play whenever a public speaker faces an audience. In
an ideal world, as the Greek philosopher Plato noted, all public speakers would be truthful and
devoted to the good of society. Yet, history tells us that the power of speech is often abused –
sometimes with disastrous results.

The power of speech should not be abused. Ethical decisions will be guided by your values,
conscience, your sense of right and wrong.

GUIDELINES FOR ETHICAL SPEAKING

1. Make sure your goals are ethically sound.

2. Be fully prepared for each speech.
3. Be honest in what you say.
4. Avoid name-calling and other forms of abusive language.

name-calling – It is the use of language to defame, demean, or degrade individuals or

groups. Such terms have been used to debase people because of their sexual orientation,
religious beliefs, and ethnic background. It includes epithets.

epithets – or special nicknames that replace the name of a person and often describe
them in some way.

5. Put ethical principles into practice.

PLAGIARISM

Credible public speakers are open and honest with their audiences. Honesty includes
telling your audience why you’re speaking and what you’ll address throughout your speech. The
two most important aspects in ethical communication include your ability to remain honest
while avoiding plagiarism and to set and meet responsible speech goals.

Plagiarism comes from plagiarius, the Latin word for kidnapper. To plagiarize means to
present another person’s language or ideas as your own – to give the impression you have
written or thought yourself when you have actually taken it from someone else.

KINDS OF PLAGIARISM

1. Global plagiarism. The most obvious – and unforgivable – kind of plagiarism. It is grossly
unethical. It is stealing your speech entirely form another source and passing it of as your
own.
 2. Patchwork plagiarism. Unlike global plagiarism, in which a speaker pirates an entire
speech from a single source, patchwork plagiarism occurs when a speaker takes from two
or three sources.

3. Incremental plagiarism. It is when the entire speech is cribbed more or less verbatim from
a single source or a few sources. It occurs when the speaker fails to give credit for
particular parts – increments – of the speech that are borrowed from other people.

a. Quotations. Whenever you quote someone directly, you must attribute the words
to that person. It would make a strong addition to your speech as long as you
acknowledge the owners/authors.
b. Paraphrases. When you paraphrase an author, you restate or summarize her or
his in your own words. You need to acknowledge the author or the person because
still, with just a fair amount of his/her language, you are still using his/her
opinions, ideas, and judgment.

According to Quintilian, “A liar should have a good memory”, while according to Mark Twain “If
you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything”.

GUIDELINES FOR ETHICAL LISTENING

1. Be courteous and attentive.

2. Avoid prejudging the speaker.
3. Maintain the free and open expression of ideas.

So, ethics is a very important part of communication, likewise, it is an important part of the
public speaking process.