2. The Greeks believed that to be an orator, an individual had to be morally good. Comment on whether you agree or disagree. What, if any, is the connection between goodness, truth, and public communication?
Even in today’s world people question if you have to be morally good to be a great speaker. Well, I would say no. Yes, it would be nice if every speaker were truly morally good in his or her messages and methods. However, many of us listen to speakers that are great at banning the truth, making the bad sound good, giving solutions that are not necessarily possible and not to mention are expressing values that they do not practice themselves. I can not help but think of the many speakers who expressed the importance of slavery, not giving women rights and other important issues of our history, which at the time sounded morally good to many of the listeners, but today those same speakers would be kicked of the stage.
I believe the Ancient Greeks teaching methods about making the truth, credibility and proof such important factors helped make great speakers and communicators during their time period (p. 6). These methods from Ancient Greeks really allowed the average citizen of their society to understand more factors about their society by believing in a speaker. Back then many listeners would only know the truth of the speaker through words or actions, so being truthful and honest was a true importance. However, in today’s U.S. society more individuals are educated, have access to internet, books and viewing speeches from radio or television. With all these means to understanding and becoming familiar with the speaker we as individuals can deicide if they are truthful, thinking about the good of the public and truly have goodness behind their words.
My argument and debate professor at SJSU mentioned, that it is never worth winning an argument or debate if there is no truth behind your sources or words. I agree with my professors comment and believe that a speaker must use truth behind all their words if they wish for viewers/listeners to not question their morals and values on a daily bases.
Hi- Sorry this blog is a little long, but this is a difficult topic to express :)
Hope your week is going GREAT!
Blondie
About Me
- blondie
- Hollister, Ca., United States
- Hello Everyone, I am excited about taking this online Comm. 105 class this Fall! How I ended up taking Communication classes: I graduated from SJSU in December (2007) with a degree in Marketing and a minor in Communications. I enjoyed Communications classes, so much I decided to earn my second degree in Communications (May 2009), while I job search. Why Communication 105: I am hoping this class with provide me with more communication tools to understanding why individuals and I decide to communicate in our society and outside our environment. We communicate everyday with a multiple people, which truly give us the opportunity to make a positive difference in our society, but if this communication is not clear gaps in our society will only grow. This class will not only enable me learn the correct terms in the communication field, but allow me to put them towards real life experiences and events. Have an awesome semester and talk soon!
4 comments:
Blondie...I couldn't agree more with your statement about the current situation with speakers. There are to many speakers who promote themselves publicly in one light only to have themselves revealed in a slightly more sinister shade. However, I believe this is because we as Americans look for our great speakers mainly in politicians (though current religious scandals are shaking things up too). Politicians today are looked at as America's moral flag because we elected them to have our best interests in mind...right? I argue that politics be left to the politicians, philosophy to the philosophers, moral obligations by law to the courts and moral obligation by religion to the various faiths. Today we look for politicians to be more than they ever can be...they're just politicians and nothing more. In ancient democracies and republics many politicians led quite raucous and public lives yet, due to their dedication to the affairs of state, they were deeply valued and continued their political careers. Why is this? I believe it is because politicians of ancient history did not mettle in affairs outside their sphere of influence (as is so common today when every elected official attempts to guide the moral compass) and when they did there were far greater consequences than there are today. For those things we value most we must look to those who specialize in such matters and not one single voice who seems to emulate all the various pitches.
Hi Blondi,
I would have to concur with your perception on the issue of a great speaker not necessarily being morally good. Although the teaching methods of the Greeks provided the average citizen with skills necessary to communicate, the issue of “source credibility” (the extent to which a communicator is considered believable and competent – p. 13) plays into the public communication process quite heavily. As you stated, there were those who once spoke the moral truth about slavery and suffrage, yet “today those speakers would be kicked off the stage.” There is a saying that “your sins will find you out.” My guess is that those who present themselves as morally good (via public communication) and are in fact not morally good will have trouble with their credibility or be found in sin
Hey, I definitely agree that not all public speakers are morally good. It seems that to get people to listen to them speakers will often resort to whatever it takes. This meaning that they will say anything to get people to listen even if there is no truth behind what they are saying. It would be ideal if public speakers were morally good because then leaders would be morally sound and the people would not be tricked into listening to someone that is just telling them what they want to hear. It truly is unfortunate that most public speakers are much less than morally sound, instead…leaning more towards morally corrupt.
I completely agree with you. As the world continues to change and move forward so do the people who live in it. The Greeks didn't have the resources we do now like the internet and television to alter the way we perceive someone. It is a lot harder now to decipher between what is truth and what is false.
I also agree with you that it would be nice if every speaker was morally good but unfortunately that is not the world we live in.
My favorite part of your blog was in your conclusion where you shared the quote from your debate professor "That it is never worth winning a fight or debate if there is no truth behind our words." In life we have to choose our battles because if we didn't we would be fighting all the time.
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