Blog post 1 : The importance of the Multiplicity of goods
Emma Martin
The beginning of chapter one of Ronald C. Arnett's Communication Ethics Literacy : Dialogue and Difference, expresses that in order to understand communication ethics, we as individuals must understand the importance of having different views of what is good, there is no strict guide or rules to what is good in the world, only our personal values that guide ourselves and how "one seeks actively to protect and promote a particular hyper good and it's supporting goods with communicative practices in our personal and professional time together" ( Arnett, 4 ). This difference was defined as "fragmentation, the reality of differing views of the good held by groups of persons and individuals" ( Arnett, 5 ). This interests me a great deal because I would argue that the majority of children grow up thinking that their own specific good, taught to them by their parents or traditions, is the correct kind of good. Which overall conflicts with not only challenged in the adult world, but also with others goods that guide them to make their own choices or acts. Hence these children might grow up having less sympathy towards others actions because it doesn't suit their good, yet personal goods are not universally good. This leads into the multiplicity of goods, of which "requires us to show up and to take the time and energy to learn and reflect upon the goods at hand, such as the charge of communication ethics, which asks us to be attentive to how communication ethics works hand in hand with a given historical moment, not just our own demands of how the world should be" ( Arnett, 10 ). This refers to accepting all sorts of good, especially another individuals that differs from your own, or that you personally might consider to be "bad".
An example of multiplicity of goods that I think of comes from personal experience. Last year I took a gap semester because of a number of reasons that were affecting me personally. I felt that I was making the right decision, yet a lot of my friends and family greatly disagreed with me because they thought it would lead me to a different path in life. For example, my mom thought I wouldn't go back to school because she also took a gap semester and never achieved her degree. Without knowing she used the multiplicity of goods and came to an understanding of where I was coming from, accepting my decision even though she felt it was out of place from her own values that guides her own good. Furthermore the multiplicity of goods displays how valuable and important communication is. Along with the importance of understanding the difference of beliefs throughout our society today, especially when the majority have the need to prove they are right when it comes to protecting and promoting what is good and bad.
I think you did a good job of explaining the multiplicity of goods very well. I think the idea that everyone has their own idea of good, based on their own experiences, is really interesting as well. The relativity of human values, based on culture and background is very visible from parents to young children, as most of what the kids know is directly from their parents or guardian. I think Arnett does a good job in explaining why it's important to have a understanding of numerous perspectives, and how it affects our idea of 'good'.
ReplyDeleteI also have had friends and family who have taken gap semesters, to the ire of friends and family. This idea of someone placing their values onto someone else has happened to me as well, but with my college major. I decided to do Communication, and I had multiple family members tell me this was wrong. They all had some reason why another major was better, and it was always based off of their own experiences. I think people sometimes get uncomfortable when someone close to them decides to do something that falls outside of their individual definition of 'good', without considering another perspective. I think many people can relate to being told what is right to do while in college, as it is a formative time for most adults, and everyone has a different experience.
The Arnett comment has a citation on page 8 of chapter 1
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