In “Writing Involves Making Ethical Choices” John Duffy explains the idea that writing will, either explicitly or implicitly, involve ethical choices. More specifically, Duffy explains that we will inevitably address ethical questions. While this may be true, it doesn’t mean that writer’s should be ethically judged, as they may not intentionally convey these ethical choices. The choices they make when writing may simply take the audience as a factor, but not ethics. It is because of this that Duffy’s most important point comes into play: the relationship between reader and writer is created from these choices to address others in a specific way, whether subconsciously or consciously.
What are three ethical responsibilities we have as writers?
- Thinking about the type of writer we wish to be and how we want our writing to make a difference.
- Thinking about the obligations we have to our readers and how we can change our writing to suit the readers.
- Thinking about the effects our words will have upon others.
Within the reading, Duffy states that we ask ourselves ethical questions when proposing our relationships with our readers. “What kind of writer do I wish to be? What are my obligations to my readers? What effects will my words have upon others, upon my community?” Asking ourselves and thinking upon these questions is what our responsibilities are as writers. However as writers we don’t just write, but read. We are both writers and readers at the same time, trying to put ourselves in the place of our audience. This leads us to the next question:
What are three ethical responsibilities we have as readers?
- Be unbiased as we read the text, so the point of the text is fully understood without ethical bias.
- Ask questions about the subject throughout the text
- Understand our relationship with the writer and how it affects the reading at hand
Duffy also states within the reading that we don’t need to judge based on ethics while reading what a writer has to say. They may not always think based on ethics while writing, and may not know that the statements they make are ethical. Because of this, we have to be open as readers to fully understand the topic at hand. We must ask ourselves questions as we read and must do the same contemplation of our relationship with the writer to comprehend why the writer made the choices they made.
