Ethics and Persuasion
Prepare a 1000-1500 word paper (do not include title and reference pages in your word count), formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center, that details the importance of ethical behavior and its significance in persuasion. Define at least two ethical theories in your paper, and identify and describe the impact that ethical practices have on persuasion. Your paper must include at least three outside scholarly sources to support your opinions. You should choose an effective example to clearly illustrate your viewpoints such as a current event issue or personal experience.
Week 2 Assignment: Ethics and Persuasion
When ethical human behavior is applied for persuasive purposes, then in many cases it is viewed as an immoral activity. Even ethical behavior is very important to humanity and the impact can be seen from the process of persuasion for understanding who is responsible for doing what. It is because the technique of persuasion can be applied to both ethical and non-ethical situations. Ethics persuasion begins with developing ethics in a way one person can communicate to persuade others and how he or she takes responsibility for possible persuasion outcomes (Paypervids, 2022).
For many years, humans are known for the significance of ethical behavior as it is the foundation of civilization. For example, it can be said that during the time of Hitler, the world is not as civilized as it is today. Meanwhile, the way Jews were killed was regarded as a barbaric act. Human beings are guided by the ethical norms in human society because they enable the different communities to diverse the origins for the co-existence (Paypervids, 2022). According to Magee (2014), the persuader action is determined more under the ethics deontological than the teleological ethics. If the persuasion is seen through the ethical perspective, then the new persuasion technique formed is more sophisticated, refined, and civilized.
Moreover, there are majorly 4 ethical theories that can be applied in persuasion which are deontology, utilitarianism, rights, and virtue. However, in this assignment, I am discussing the deontology and utilitarianism ethical theory in persuasion. The ethical theory of deontology states that individuals need to adhere to their obligations and duties when engaged in persuasive communication. In simple terms, this theory states that an individual will follow his or her obligations over other people’s opinions in society. It is so because upholding the individual duty over others is termed ethically significant. It comes with various positive attributes, still, some flaws are associated with it. One is that the deontological theory of communication has no rationale for deciding one’s duties (Chonko, 2022).
On the other hand, the communication theory of utilitarianism says about or checks an individual capability of predicting the consequences that happened over the course of the event. In this respective theory, the choice which provides benefits to most of the people of the society is ethically correct and appropriate (Chonko, 2022). Moreover, the theory of utilitarianism is of two types i.e. act and rule utilitarianism are both associated with some drawbacks, however, only rule utilitarianism is associated with the benefit which will be provided to most people through fair and justified means. Hence, both ethical theories form a strong foundation for decision-making. It states that communication and decision making is accurate when they are in ethics.
In order to achieve ethically and morally acceptable behavior, the persuasion technique must be considered. Every mother across the globe teaches their children to follow ethical practices so that they can make the right decisions. However, the technique of persuasion in ethical practices can either be life-saving or deadly. For example, the case of Phoebe Prince says that she is 15 years old and committed suicide in the month of January. According to the research, its found that she had been transferred to an American school from Ireland and was very eager to make new friends. Therefore, later in her school years, she grabbed the attention of the football player who was just broken off with other girls. That girl had persuaded her friends to join her in bullying Phoebe with taunts and abuse. Moreover, as soon as the abuse grows and turned into a physical threat, Phoebe decided to hang herself in the apartment as she came back from school (Study Moose, 2022). Through the example used, the power of persuasion is clear.
More and more people join the unethical behavior of taunting and abusing Phoebe had pushed her to hang herself to death. Therefore, its correctly mentioned that if ethics is important for behavior, then its impact on humans and persuasion can be fearful and drastic (Study Moose, 2022). Moreover, the ideas of persuasion may arise several issues such as manipulation, intentional bias, bribery, deception, and coercion. All of these elements are somewhere related to persuasion, however in very distinct methods. Leaders of all organizations use the technique o ethical persuasion to influence and compel their followers to act (123 Help me, 2022). The ethically persuasive behavior in human beings can be realized and stands as a groundwork for different kinds of society.
Ethically persuasive behavior not only helps in encountering the organization’s perspective, instead, it also encounters the patients in the healthcare unit. Various economists of the world had shown the irrationalities and self-thwarting tendencies that persuade human decision-making (Swindell, McGuire & Halpern, 2010). In ethical persuasion, Mother Teresa is one name who persuaded individuals toward good and ethical norms. She has set up ethical standards and followed the ethical norms for caring for sick and orphaned people. The reputation of Mother Teresa does not go down because of her ethical practice of persuading others. Hence, it can be said that ethical behavior helps in determining an individual’s character (Paypervids, 2022).
Even ethical persuasion had impacted the world of advertising too as it influences individual buying behavior. The advertisements persuade the customers to buy the organizational products and services instead of buying the competitors’ products (Business Ethics, 2022). Through ethical persuasive advertisements, even if customers do not wish to buy the products, they might become desirable to buy the products in the coming future. Hence, ethical practices have a positive impact on persuasion. Ethical practices do not bring negative outcomes, instead, an individual follows up on the ethical practices in their life, and they can be able to persuade others easily. From an ancient age, it’s clear and transparent that only people who had followed ethical persuasions had become renowned and gained success.
References
Paypervids (2022). Ethical Behavior and its Significance in Persuasion. Retrieved on 26th July 2022, from: https://www.paypervids.com/ethical-behavior-and-its-significance-in-persuasion/
Chonko, L. (2022). Ethical theories. Retrieved on 26th July 2022, from: https://www.dsef.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/EthicalTheories.pdf
Study moose (2022). Ethical Behavior and Its Significance in Persuasion. Retrieved on 26th July 2022, from: https://studymoose.com/ethical-behavior-and-its-significance-in-persuasion-essay
123 help me (2022). Ethical Behavior In Persuasion Case Study. Retrieved on 27th July 2022, from: https://www.123helpme.com/essay/Ethical-Behavior-In-Persuasion-Case-Study-537898
Swindell, J.S, McGuire, A.L & Halpern, S.D. (2010). Beneficent Persuasion: Techniques and Ethical Guidelines to Improve Patients’ Decisions. Retrieved on 27th July 2022, from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2866725/
Business ethics (2022). The morality of persuasion. Retrieved on 27th July 2022, from: https://philosophia.uncg.edu/phi361-matteson/module-7-advertising/the-morality-of-persuasion/
