Thursday, January 29, 2009
Language matters
In Obama's recent interview with the Al Arabiya news network he said, "The language we use matters." This might be understood to mean simply that we should try to be as persuasive as possible in promoting our ideas. But in the context of this interview about relations between the US and Muslim nations, Obama is affirming a commitment to respecting others even when we may disagree with them.
In the language of ethics, virtues matter. We should be concerned not only with taking the right action, but also with how we are as we act. Are we being civil by listening carefully and trying to understand others? Are we expressing gratitude when those who do not agree with us are, nonetheless, civil?
This is doing ethics. Who you are, as well as what you do, matters, not merely to you, but to others.
With hope...Bob
Labels: virtues
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