An ethical basis of communication

Ethics and the persuasive enterprise of teaching psychology.

“…Karl Wallace (1967), in his widely influential treatise, "An Ethical Basis of Communication," described four foundational values underlying democratic persuasion ethics. The first of these is the notion that individuals have dignity and worth; democratic political systems function primarily to protect and enhance the lives of these citizens.…”

“…Fourth, and finally, a democratic ethic assumes that people are capable of self-determination and autonomous function within society. Wallace (1967) made explicit the implications of this assumption in noting it "assumes that persons can acquire the knowledge necessary to form opinions and decisions and to test them by means of discussion and action" (p. 50).…”

“…Thus, it might be argued that so long as instructors do not actively lie to students by misrepresenting the truth, they behave ethically. Indeed, in view of Wallace's (1967) fourth axiom regarding people's capability for selfzdetermination, students would seem to bear a great deal of responsibility for classroom persuasion, and instructors would seem to achieve a commensurate degree of license regarding content.…”

“…Our estimation of student responsibility and instructor license is tempered, however, when we recall the corollary to Wallace's (1967) axiom, the assumption that people can acquire the knowledge necessary to form opinions and make decisions. To provide a fair chance to students, instructors are obliged both to present a full consideration of pertinent facts and to consult a consensus of opinion in the field regarding what is and is not pertinent.…”

Ethical issues in the evaluation of communication behavior

“…The evaluative decisions made when individuals assess the communication acts, performances, or behaviors of others are necessarily linked to the issues of respect and fairness (Wallace, 1955), two qualities that are most important in an individual's rational decision making process. Although Wallace's guidelines are what he believes to be basic to our political system, they are most applicable to assessment of communication skills in an educational setting.…”