Virtue Ethics: Conversing with the Dissonant Remainders of Democracy
Abstract
This chapter offers a critical examination of virtue ethics (VE) as a branch of communication ethics more broadly through a comprehensive literature review that spans VE’s ancient philosophical roots to contemporary applications in communication studies. By situating VE in traditions of East Asian, Greek, Islamic, and modern Western philosophies, the chapter argues for the value of VE for promoting democratic communication. It also examines the ways in which VE has been appropriated by rhetoric and communication scholars to develop ethical dispositions and rhetorical know-how for countering toxic discourse characterized by divisiveness and misinformation. The chapter critiques conventional strategies like condemnation and calls for civility, which have shown limited effectiveness, and instead proposes a conceptual method for doing VE in practice by highlighting its iterative, communal, and scalable qualities. By focusing on these core attributes of VE, this chapter concludes that ethical public discourse begins with mutual trust among citizens who are committed to democratic engagement and social justice.
Publication Title
The Handbook of Communication Ethics, Second Edition
Recommended Citation
Duffy, W. (2024). Virtue Ethics: Conversing with the Dissonant Remainders of Democracy. The Handbook of Communication Ethics, Second Edition, 33-47. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003274506-5
