The Ethics of Persuasion

Is there room for ethics in persuasion? There are some who hesitate to make this connection mainly because its nature is hard to define. To some, persuasion is closely association to propaganda and thus something to be distanced from (Messina, 2007). Others still insist that ethics in persuasion is indistinct in communication and in fact, an important function in persuasion (Messina, 2007). This author contents that ethics is not only essential in persuasion but possible as well.
Live is full of ethical choices. Ethical decisions are manifested through behavior. That is, behaviors not only in action but also in speech. Many times, each individuals' ethics are manifested automatically and unconsciously. It has become a habit of certain responses. Same can be said for persuasion. Like ethics, persuasion occurs naturally and without thought. Yet, the merging of the two seem to be somewhat of a controversy. The question is, do we as communicators have a responsibility to persuade ethically? And if so, why and how?
Ethics is important to all behavior, most especially to that pertaining to persuasion. This is because persuasion can be a powerful force that shifts attitudes, beliefs, values, and behavior ( Seiter & Gass, 2004, p. 14). And as such has a great impact to any community. If one were to sucessfully persuade youths towards violence, for instance, this would make any community an unsafe place. It has the potential to affect and influence many lives. Persuasion is no doubt powerful when effective and thus the persuer holds a huge responsibility to act ethically.
There are many ethical theories on human behavior but only few are said that can be related to the ethics of persuasion. In Messina's article, “ Public relations, the public interest and persuasion: An ethical approach”, she mentions how the Kantian philosophy has been used to a guide to ethical persuasion. Yet, this viewpoint has been deemed lacking as a model to go by on. According to the Kant, humans worth comes from their ability to apply reason and as such reason should be the factor to human's decision making process. Ethical persuasion then should allow individuals the ability to think for themselves based on solid facts to allow voluntary informed rational judgements to the contents of a message. Distorted, false, and fabricated information, on the other hand, rob people of making informed and rational judgements which makes the persuasion unethical. Furthermore, Kant contends that people should be not be treated as merely a means to an ends but as ends in themselves (Messina, 2007). That is, they should not be coersed into a certain line of thinking merely to achieve the results one was looking for.
Yet, for all its seemingly sound application as it pertained to persuasion,the Kantian philosophy is inadequate. This was mainly because the Kantian philosophy is categorial in nature. For instance, it believes that lying is always wrong
regardless of circumstances. As Messina (2007) illustrates, it would be hard to justify this line of thinking if one was lying to protect the lives of others such of that of Jews in the time of the holocaust. She then contends that an absolute approach to the ethics of persuasion needs to reconsidered and offers the rule utilitarian perspective to be considered.
The rule utilitarian mainly uses reason as well as a guide in its decision process. But unlike the Kantian perspective, rule utilitarians, are not absolutionists. What it preaches is in the greater good for the greatest people. Its decision making process does not lie in what is necessarily considered right or wrong but what would bring the greatest happiness. In this, they weigh the “sum” of happiness versus that unhappiness ( Waller, 2005, p.49). However, even this perspective falls short in its uses in ethical persuasion. For one, how will happiness be measured? This poses difficulties in it ethical calculations. In the end, Messina (2007) resigns herself to concluding that the best approach to ethical persuasion is a combination of the two. Reason should be used in the search of ethics in persuasion yet greater good must also be weighed right in. Furthermore, it should be noted that exceptions has to be willed to be applicable universally.
Ethics have a significant impact on persuasion. A non-ethical persuader may withhold
information pertinent to making informed decisions. An ethical persuader, on the other hand, gives his audience a fair shot of analyzing and processing the message to his own satisfaction. As persuasion has the ability to change attitutes, values, beliefs, and behavior, it has lasting and dire effects on any community good or bad. For instance, to successfully persuade teenagers into violence would mean an unsafe community. To persuade people into obtaining pre-screening test for certain diseases through education and correct information means a healthy population. Ethics in persuasion is important because its results are tangible and may even be long term.
Conclusion
The question we came to explore was if there is room for ethics in persuasion. This author firmly believes that there is. Furthermore, it is believed that certain perspectives and standards can be established to act as guidelines in contemplating a message's ethicality. As demonstrated, two prospective viewpoints in combination have the capabilities to serve as such, the Kantian's theory of reasoning and the rule utilitarian's concept of the consideration of the greatest good serving the greater people. Ethics is not only essential to persuasion but that it had direct and possibly lastling effects.




References

Messina, A. (2007). Public relations, the public interest and persuasion: an ethical

approach. Journal of Communication Management,11(1), 29. Retrieved November

15, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 1210421591).

Seiter, J.E. & Gass, R.H. (2004). Perspectives on persuasion, social influence, and
compliance gaining. Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Education, Inc.
Waller, B.N. (2005). Consider ethics: theory, readings, and comtemporary issues.
New York: Pearson