Rhetorical Ethics Research

Rhetoric ethics research includes the aspects of both theory and practice. In the aspect of theory this thesis will focus on solving the following problems:First of all, in this paper, I have proposed and defined several concepts about rhetoric ethics research, which are rhetoric ethics, personality shown in rhetoric, true personality, sincere statement, non-sincere statement. Secondly, I have analyzed three characteristics of rhetoric ethics, which are subjectivity, zeitgeist and nationality. Thirdly, I have summarized and raised certain principle and guideline of rhetoric ethics, and analyzed the connotation of each guidelines and its sub-guidelines. Based on the history and reality of the ideology and sample of rhetoric, I have summed up the essential principle of rhetoric ethics, that is, the principle of fidelity. The principle of fidelity is rooted in the rhetoric ethics tradition,'rhetoric based on its fidelity", which means not only that the feelings and thoughts expressed by the rhetor contain their own virtue but also that the terminology or phraseology used in the expressions are ethical and moral.'Fidelity'in ancient China is a profound philosophical concept, which has'Wuchang'(five common virtues), so naturally, as the principle of rhetoric ethics, it includes five ethical guidelines of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and creditability. In actual rhetoric practice, to follow the five guidelines of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and creditability is to obey the principle of fidelity. Each of the five guidelines has its own connotation, and thus has different sub-guidelines. And if one can grasp the content of the five guidelines, one will grasp the criteria of their sub-guidelines. Among the five guidelines, the first one is particularly important, because it must be based on and from the virtue within the rhetor, and this determines whether the rhetor has the quality of fidelity and the feature of their fidelity. To apply rhetoric ethics efficiently requires that, in practice, in exercising the skills, the rhetor cultivate and strengthen their own virtues so that fidelity can be seen from themselves within, which is to reach a state of applying fidelity sincerely from within instead of merely conducting the guideline of fidelity. In other words, the rhetor must hold sincerity in organizing rhetoric expressions, but not, for a particular purpose, merely show fidelity in the speech instead of having sincerity or fidelity from themselves within. Fourthly, I have anatomized the subjective motivation of the rhetor in conducting rhetoric ethics. Concretely speaking, I have summarized the adaptation rules used by the rhetor in rhetoric ethics from three aspects, namely the self-position of the rhetor, the choice of strategy in rhetoric, and the interaction dynamic of the rhetor and their audience. Fifthly, I have analyzed some rhetoric works from the angle of rhetoric ethics. If works, aiming to concrete topics, plots and moral standard, written with certain rhetoric strategies and methodologies, has applied rhetoric ethics principle, especially the first guideline of Ren (benevolence), the work can be regard as sincere statement, on the contrary, it can be non-sincere statement. According to the rhetor's sincerity or their subjective intentions and whether the expressions abide by the ethical guidelines, sincere statement and non-sincere statement can be classified as two categories, which are routine expression and variant expression. In actual rhetoric practice, it is necessary to promote the construction of sincere statement, and mindfully identify non-sincere statements, especially non-sincere statements and its variant expressions, as it usually polishes or decorates statements or expressions to show ethics and morality, while the actual intention is not so. If we trust such rhetoric constructions without detailed investigations, we can be deceived.In the aspect of practice, although research on the practice of rhetoric ethics can be explored in many ways, due to the limitation of this thesis, only two most representative and typical areas have been selected to explore and study, which are appellation and euphemism. I have had an in-depth analysis on the significance of rhetoric ethics in actual rhetoric activities. Regarding appellation, in this thesis, I have discussed the relationship of its choices and rhetoric ethics, analyzed its restriction and facilitation to the ethical relationship, and anatomized its complimentary or dispraising tendency in terms of ethics. Regarding euphemism, I have illustrated its ethical restriction in the process of formation and application, summed up some basic guidelines while applying rhetoric ethics, and anatomized the expression of euphemism and its effect with concrete examples. In addition to the analysis of euphemism phenomenon, I have also had certain ethical interpretations about the phenomenon of the - breaking - of -euphemism, and analyzed and identified the ethical value in the-breaking-of- euphemism.