Public Speaking

34 CHAPTER^3 Ethics in a Diverse Society

This perspective also helps create a multivocal society. What does it look like in

practice? Amitai Etzioni,^22 who experienced Nazi persecution during his childhood,

emphasizes both rights and responsibilities in the principles he proposes for discussions

involving major differences:

1. Don’t demonize the other side or only show it negatively.


2. Don’t insult or offend the deep moral commitments of others; don’t bring up dark
   moments from a group’s history.


3. Talk less about nonnegotiable “rights” and more about negotiable needs, wants,
   and interests.


4. Don’t feel you must deal with every issue; you can let some things drop.


5. Don’t abandon your convictions, but balance your beliefs and passions against
   those strongly held by others.
   Dialogue can help resolve international, national, and campus problems. For
   example, groups such as the Difficult Dialogues initiative provide space for people from
   various perspectives to come together in reasoned dialogue about controversial issues.
   On campuses, The Democracy Project develops “intentionally designed, permanent
   spaces on campuses for identifying, studying, deliberating, and planning action regarding
   pressing issues with ethical or social implications.”^23

Listening Ethically

You don’t have time to listen to every person or every idea. But polite listening affirms

another person’s right to speak, and your respectful attention is one way to empower

others. Think about how positive you feel when someone who disagrees with you still

takes time to ask how you came to your conclusions. Sincere questions that are not

meant as personal attacks show that the listener is really trying to understand your

viewpoint.

Some situations pose ethical dilemmas for listeners. For example, when you hear

someone saying something you know to be false or arguing for a viewpoint that does

not seem well reasoned, what should you do? Should you respectfully confront the

speaker in front of others? Should you prepare another speech to present more accurate

information or provide a different perspective? Should you ask questions that help other

listeners detect the misinformation or bias? Should you disrupt the speech by heckling—

by interrupting or shouting down the speaker? These are all possible responses.

Classroom listening also has ethical implications. Have you been in a class situa-

tion where disruptive or impolite students caused you stress and, as a result, you got

less out of the session? For example, students who challenge the instructor or other

students with whom they disagree can make a learning situation stressful and difficult.

Nowadays, many universities are addressing classroom incivility—defined as actions that

interfere with students’ overall learning.^24 In addition to disruptive challenges, annoying

behaviors such as arriving late and leaving early, noisily packing up before class ends,

heckling disrupting a
speech by interrupting or
shouting down a speaker

Figure 3.1
These are the three essential
components of dialogue.
A Dialogical Attitude

Equality: respect others; consider their opinions

Empathy: show compassion and identify emotionally with others

Examination: consider your assumptions and theirs with an open mind

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