Ethics in persuasion

Ethics paired in conjunction to persuasion seems a rather dynamic duo, however how
and why do ethics matter in studying a topic such as persuasion? Persuasion in itself is a
field of ethical questions. There is a fine line between persuasion and coercion that can blur
boundaries of ethics. However, by examining the background of ethics and the importance
history has on today’s understanding on ethics in persuasion, delving further into how
ethics matters in persuasion, and then examining why ethics matter in persuasion one can
begin to grasp the value of ethics in persuasion and how a communicator can use it in a
moral way.
There is an illustrious background to ethics in persuasion and how it matters to
persuasion as a whole. When ethics began, there was a large definition surrounded by
argumentation, language, and public address to influence audiences. The Greeks
thoroughly enjoyed public speeches and supported sophists, or teachers of knowledge
rhetoric. Sophists believed that truth was the supreme value. In their teachings, sophists
would have a dual approach. For example, Plato would focus on in depth thinking and
arguments, and the sophists would focus more on style, oratory, and simpler persuasive
appeals. These styles trickled down to many students, eventually landing on Plato’s best
student and first persuasion theorist. Aristotle believed that rhetoric could be viewed in a
more analytical fashion. This led him to be considered one of Plato’s best students and the
first persuasion theorist of his time. Aristotle proposed that persuasion as a whole has
three main components. He introduced the concept of ethos, pathos, and logos that
continue to shape our ideas of ethics in persuasion today. As Perloff describes in the 6th
edition of The Dynamics of Persuasion, “Aristotle was also an early student of psychology,
recognizing that speakers had to adapt to their audiences by considering in their speeches
those factors that were most persuasive to an audience member” (Perloff, 2017). He found
that adaptation occurred through the components of ethos, pathos, and logos. Through
ethos, he focused on the nature of the communicator. For pathos, he centered on the
emotional state of the audience. And for logos, he concentrated on the message arguments
all to better adapt to the audiences needs. This is where ethics in persuasion found its start
and still, to this day, shapes the views of persuasion ethics.
But how do ethics matter? What role do they play in persuasion as a major form of
communication? Aristotle was the leader in beginning to understand this phenomenon.
Through his findings we learned that people were symbol using creatures and that
audience members play an active role in persuasion as a whole. We learned that the
medium is the message and that ethics plays a large role in the perception of that message.
How ethics matters in persuasion is shown through experiments conducted on persuasive
communication efforts. For example, Carl Hovland. Hovland is responsible for conducting
numerous ground breaking experiments on the psychological effects of persuasive
communications. Thanks to his experimentations, the persuasive field of communication is
able to better understand how ethics begin to matter in the field. While he may have died
young, “his scientific approach to persuasion survived and proved to be an enduring
legacy…a host of other social scientists, armed with theories, predictions, and
questionnaires, began to follow suit” (Perloff, 2017). This impact on ethics in persuasion
has had a lasting effect on the world of communication as an entity.
 With that being said, there have been questions surrounding the idea if persuasion is
even indeed ethical. While we can see how ethics matter in persuasion, this question on the
morality shows why ethics matter in persuasion. It is within human nature to desire to be
treated with a certain degree of respect and consideration. We value feeling valued and
understood. So how does persuasion come to play? Does persuasion take away from that
human need to feel understood by becoming coerced instead? Where is the line, and why is
ethics in persuasion important? Plato seemed to believe that “an ideal rhetoric admirably
composed of truth and morality, (and) did not think that ordinary persuasion measured up
to this standard” (Perloff, 2017). The German philosopher Immanuel Kant would see this
same persuasion as immoral for another reason for he saw people being used instead of
being a valuable step in the persuasion process. While other numerous philosophers
disagree, believing that persuasion is completely ethical on the grounds that people had to
accept or reject a communicator’s persuasive message. This ability to choose their reaction
then shows the ethical nature of persuasion, no coercion is taking place therefore no ethical
boundaries are being broken which makes a campaign more ethical. While there are many
different stances one can take on the ethical nature of persuasion one fact goes undisputed,
ethics matter a great deal to persuasion as a whole. Without ethics these conversations
wouldn’t even be taking place. Ethics are also seen in the intentions of the persuasion piece
that is being created within a campaign. Persuasion is accessible to everyone, meaning
everyone of varying ethical backgrounds can use it. In order to stay ethical within a
campaign, persuasion professionals must stay true to these ethical morals. Some people
may be more ethically driven than others, but it is then on the communicator to behave in a
moral or immoral fashion. That is not saying that persuasion is inherently ethical or
unethical, but more that it is dependent on the ethical standing of the persuader. More
over, ethics drive persuader’s communication content making it an important factor in
persuasion as a whole.
Overall, ethics in persuasion is an important pairing to understand in order to act as a
moral communicator. By investigating the background of ethics and the importance history
has on today’s understanding on ethics in persuasion, digging further into how ethics
matters in persuasion, and then surveying why ethics matter in persuasion a
communicator can begin to understand the value ethics plays in persuasion as an act of
communication. By grasping the significance of ethics in persuasion, the communicator can
then use their persuasive message in a moral way to further support ethics in
communication.
 Works Cited

Perloff, R. M. (2017). The Dynamics of Persuasion, 6th Edition. [Chegg]. Retrieved

from https://ereader.chegg.com/#/books/9781317328872/