Ethics

Ethics has always been an important topic in most any field, but has recently started to become a bigger topic in the realm of technical communication. Ethics is generally involves the process of making judgments about a set of values. Some say that the internet is the most fair and balanced system of communication that the world has seen to date, due to the fact that no one person or group can claim to have ownership over it. Others however argue that it is in face biased and unfair in that people that are already privileged can gain easier access to it and have an easier time manipulating it. The purpose of studying ethics is to give us the ability not to understand what is right and wrong, but rather to allow us to articulate to others what this difference is. It is also important to allow you to take your own personal prejudices out of the equation and make a decision without a previous bias. Historical views only become relevant to our daily lives in a very broad way; they do not allow for the change that occurs in the world and do not consider how ethical viewpoints may change. Ethics is considered to be a branch of philosophy, which was established by Plato. Plato believe that following the “soul” would lead to the correct interpretation of ethics. Socrates believed in following ethics and doing what was right regardless of the consequences, he believe that it was a way of following God, and that it also required social interactions. Perelman showed that there is no absolute basis or authority for values, and therefore for ethics. He stipulated that our language was our value. Weaver said that our values are the foundation for rhetoric. If you take both of these as true, does it lead to a certain amount of circular logic?