Chapter 5 Blog

Chapter 5 focuses on dialogic ethics and how it is necessary to use when we are living in this post modern era with a multiplicity of the good. The book says, "our discussion of dialogic ethics emphasizes a pragmatic need for learning more from the Other, alterity and difference" (pg. 80). The book provides many different methods of achieving ethical dialogue or monologue and emphasizes the need for open mindedness and learning. To help us achieve ethical dialogue we learn through listening without demand, attentiveness, dialogic negotiation, and temporal dialogic ethical competence. Wee must understand our own Good while communicating and then, we must seek out learning of the Other. Overall, this chapter was more confusing to me than previous ones, but I think I got the main points of dialogic ethics.
One part of the chapter that really stood out to me was 'Dialogic Coordinates: Without Demand'. The chapter gives us 5 coordinates to have ethical dialogue; 1: be a learner and a listener, 2: demand for dialogue moves us from dialogue into monologue and concern for how communication "should" be, 3: acknowledge bias, 4: acknowledge that not all communicative arrangements offer the possibility for dialogue, and 5: keep dialogue connected to content and learning, remaining ever attentive to new possibilities that emerge "between" persons (pg.90). Overall, in order to have ethical dialogue, we need to avoid demand at all costs. The book gives examples to help reiterate that importance to avoid demand; a batter demanding a pitcher to throw a particular type of pitch or a weatherman demanding the weather to be sunny. The authors point out the ridiculousness of the demand, but people do this sort of demanding in dialogue.
 The example that stood out the most to me was when people go to non-english speaking countries or areas and demand that the people speak English. Most of us have probably been in a non-english speaking area and have spoken only English to the people. I always thought that it was sightly rude and presumptuous, but I never realized the ethical complications that could arise. Obviously, communication is going to be limited when we don't speak the same language, but when a person demands that person to speak English, we are violating ethics and restricting all forms of dialogue and learning. Instead of demanding the person to speak English, we should follow the 5 coordinates of dialogue ethic to help us learn about the Other and each others Good.