Ethical Traits
- In “Writing Involves Making Ethical Choices” by John Duffy, he explains three different types of ethical responsibilities as writers and three different types of ethical responsibilities as readers. The three types of ethical responsibilities for writers are: honesty, creditability, and accountability. The three types of ethical responsibilities for readers are: respectfulness, goodwill, and being open-minded. All of these ethical responsibilities for both readers and writers are just as important and make a huge difference when reading and writing something.
- As a writer, having these traits while making ethical choices is very important because when writing, a relationship is being built between the writer and the reader. The writer needs to have the strong traits of honesty, creditability, and accountability because that is what will grab the readers attention the best. When readers trust the writer, they enjoy the writing more and will be more likely to read more of it. As a reader, having the traits of respectfulness, goodwill, and being open-minded is also very important because when reading someone else’s writing, you build a relationship with the author. Not only does the writing connect you with the author but it also connects us with problems associated with the moral life. Ethical choices both expands and complicates our knowledge and understandings on what it means to write.
- I chose these specific responsibilities because they are perfect examples of what I explained in my summary of the article. When John Duffy said, “But writing is equally an activity that involves ethical choices that arise from the relationship of writer and reader.” I believe that this further proves why accountability, honesty, and credibility are things a writer must-have. As writers, you want to be known for having honest writing, having credible facts, and taking responsibility for mistakes in your work. As readers we need to be respectful of what we read, have an open mind, and have goodwill. We as readers need to be open about what we are reading, be able to change our perspective, and know that the writer worked hard to write something enjoyable for us to read. We should have these mindsets because like Duffy said, it “creates meaning between writers and readers.” All of these traits are important and matter because when writing something, it makes it more clear when you follow these characteristics. And as a reader, it is also key that you follow these traits because it will help you better understand what you are reading.
