ABSTRACT
People often invoke ‘ethics’ and talk about ethical and unethical behaviour. What do they mean by the term? What foundations are ethics built upon, and what are the main strands of ethical thought? In what way do they relate to PR work? How do ethics overlap with the law? PR people are not employed as philosophers nor indeed as lawyers, but they are greatly affected by what others think, and are subject to the law, so they need a fundamental awareness of ethical thought and why the law matters. This introductory chapter, which serves as a starting point for the rest of the book, looks at these issues.
