ABSTRACT

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.

part I|243 pages

Lectures and Discussions

chapter |27 pages

Man, the Symbol User

chapter |11 pages

Ethics and the Mass Media *

chapter |19 pages

Play Theory and Value

part II|15 pages

Conversations

part III|100 pages

Contributed Articles

chapter |13 pages

The Rhetorical Situation

chapter |12 pages

Whose Fool Am I?

A Look into the Ethics of Our Persuaders' Persuasion

chapter |10 pages

Language, Life, and Morality

chapter |12 pages

The Ethic of the Relay Men

part IV|8 pages

An Overview

chapter |6 pages

Some Reflections on the Whole

part V|13 pages

Dedicatory Essay