Question:
The Greeks believed that to be an orator, an individual had to be morally good. Comment on whether you agree or disagree. What, if any, is the connection between goodness, truth, and public communication?
Answer:
I would like to agree with the Greeks that an orator needs to be morally good, however I feel that was more of an ideal rather than a requirement. I can see where this would be of utmost importance, especially in Greek society where most public speaking was conducted in the realm of politics or in search of legal justice. Ideally an orator would make his or her arguments based in truth, backed by ones belief and conviction in their statements. However, even in the classical period any requirement of morality was discredited by the sophists, who boasted about their ability to defeat strong arguments with weaker ones. They showed that speaking style could take precedence over facts or even logical arguments. A situation that is showcased in modern society especially in the case of law where lawyers are encouraged to use persuasion and distraction to alter the outcome of trials regardless of their personal beliefs in regards to the case they are arguing.
In most cases it becomes more about how the recipients identify with the speaker on a personal level, even if it is only superficially, then the logical or factual basis of the statements themselves. And although I would prefer that orators be of good moral standing, I find it hard to define or qualify an individual based on their morals. This is due to the fact that someone’s moral standing seems more subjective to the recipient than it is a factual set of requirements in which the individual can be compared.
Hi MissMe!
ReplyDeleteI agree that the idea of being morally good is more of an ideal than a reality. A lot of the "truths" in those days were based on religion and what the public would "believe" to be truth. Even back prior to the internet a lot of public speakers were able to pull off speeches that today with the technology that we have, and the instant access to information, would be difficult. The way information spreads so quickly and people can uncover lies at the push of a button really makes a difference as to the credibility of a speaker. Today's orators truly need to research their topic and be confident in their research, and then portray that to the audience, so the audience can feel that truth and confidence too. :-)