This pioneering book, on the ethical and moral dimensions of communication and communication systems in the modern world, was originally published in 1974. It derived from an International Symposium on communication, consisting of world-class scholars ranging from philosophy and anthropology, to cybernetics and psychiatry, and from literary criticism to the social and behavioural sciences.
The uses of communication are ubiquitous. The breadth, depth, scope and reach of every human mind depends upon the communication experiences one has had, or is capable of having. How people confront one another depends upon the quality and reach of their individual minds – not solely on their words. This book provides an opportunity to explore with these far-ranging scholars the ethical, moral, and pragmatic communication dilemmas of our modern age. It is as pertinent today as it was when it was first published.
Preface. Part 1: Lectures and Discussions 1. Ethical and Moral Issues in Communication Jurgen Ruesch 2. Man, the Symbol User Anatol Rapoport 3. Cognition, Communication, and Value Ervin Laszlo 4. Communicative Bonds as Moral Bonds Hugh Dalziel Duncan 5. Ethical and Moral Issues in Human Communication Jose Luis L. Aranguren 6. Ethical and Moral Issues in Literary Communication: A Possible Anatomy Winston Weathers 7. Morality and Communicational Process Harley C. Shands 8. A Commentary on Shands’ Morality and Communicational Process C. A. Hilgartner 9. New Morality or New Economics: A Comment on Shands’ Morality and Communicational Process Bent Stidsen 10. Ethics and the Mass Media Martin E. Marty 11. Communication of the Integrative Network Kenneth E. Boulding 12. Play Theory and Value William Stephenson 13. A Comment on Professor Stephenson’s Paper Sir Geoffrey Vickers Part 2: Conversations 14. A Conversation with Gregory Bateson 15. A Conversation with Donald M. MacKay 16. A Conversation with Paul Weiss Part 3: Contributed Articles 16. The Rhetorical Situation Kenneth Burke 17. Speech Communication: The Revealing Echo Frank E. X. Dance 18. Whose Fool Am I? A Look into the Ethics of Our Persuaders’ Persuasion Karin Dovring 19. Karin Dovring’s Whose Fool Am I? An Appraisal Gertrude Joch Robinson 20. Language, Life and Morality Dallas M. High 21. The Ethic of the Relay Men Alfred G. Smith 22. Communication and Ethical Judgment Geoffrey Vickers 23. Ethics, Communication and Welfare Policy: A Comment on Sir Geoffrey Vickers’ Communication and Ethical Judgment John S. Morgan 24. Toward an Ethics of Communication Lee Thayer Part 4: An Overview 25. Some Reflections on the Whole Gardner Murphy Part 5: Dedicatory Essay This Superfluity of Naughtiness Warren S. McCulloch
Biography
Lee Thayer
