ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the work of twenty-four of the most celebrated philosophers in world and American history and explains how their concepts can be applied to the modern-day challenges facing communications professions. Two of the best-known philosophers in history of the discipline lived in Greece and provided the foundation for philosophical thought in Western world. The idea of pragmatism is best illustrated by the concepts attributed to American philosopher Joseph Fletcher, who coined term situational ethics. A one category consists of philosophers who either believe that individuals should be free to make decisions based on their self-interests or describe how individuals can be distracted by self-interest as they make critical decisions. Some modern-day political philosophers believe that Ayn Rand’s work is misunderstood and has been treated unfairly. At the core of her objectivism philosophy was not that individuals should always make decisions based on self-interest, but only that it was acceptable to do so.
