david j. garcia

Previously: Let’s talk ethics! The PRSA Code of Ethics (part I)

Contemporary philosopher Sissela Bok was educated in Switzerland, France, and the United States. She has a PhD in philosophy from Harvard University and has taught ethics at Brandeis University, Harvard Medical School, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government.¹

Her books “Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life” and “Secrets: On the Ethics of Concealment and Revelation” provide solid, in-depth discussions of two of the most challenging moral issues facing public relations professionals: lying and secrecy.

“Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life” is Bok’s treatment of the importance of truthfulness in life. In it, she addresses a wide variety of arguments and situations to discover when it is ethically justifiable to lie and when we must tell the truth despite the temptations to do otherwise.²

Bok argues that the ethical person must always apply a “principle of veracity” to questions of whether or not to lie. Lying is assumed to be “mean and culpable” (in Aristotle’s words), and it therefore requires justification. Truth-telling, on the other hand, does not. Whenever we are faced with two equal options, one involving lying and the other telling the truth, we should always choose to tell the truth.³

Application of this principle can be difficult at times, but Bok continues in 249 pages to discuss examples of the rationalizations used for lying in various circumstances and why truth-telling is almost always the best option. Lying harms the liar, the person who hears the lie, and the fragile societal trust.⁴ The message PR professionals should take from this is to exercise extraordinary caution when tempted to lie for or to a client. In almost no circumstances could Bok be reasonably construed to support lying for the benefit of business.

With her book “Secrets: On the Ethics of Concealment and Revelation,” Bok follows her discussion of lying with a discussion of keeping things in confidence, a related but distinct subject. In it she introduces the test of publicity. Bok is much more willing to allow secrets than lying, but the principles and practices that lead us to keep things secret should be ones that can withstand rigorous public discussion and examination. If, on the other hand, we keep our rational for keeping secrets secret as well, we’re likely to fall into the trap of personal or organizational bias.⁵

Bok’s work provides a thorough and applicable discussion of two of the thorniest ethical challenges facing public relations, but we must also move beyond her writings to find a model that can address all of PR’s diverse ethical dilemmas.

1—Bok, Sissela. “Secrets:On the Ethics of Concealment and Revelation”. New York: Vintage Books. 1989. “About the Author”
2—Bok, Sissela. “Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life”. New York: Vintage Books. 1999
3—Ibid. p 22, 30-31
4—Ibid. p 20, 26, & 52
5—Bok. “Secrets”. p 112-114

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Stay tuned next week for part III.

(Creative commons photo by flickr user gotplaid?)