Chapter 5

I found this section to be pretty straight forward in its definition of dialogic ethics. Even though throughout this chapter there were multiple ideas of what is considered dialogue they all had pretty similar ideas. I like the fact that every chapter somewhat relates to the other chapters. For example a key factor in dialogue is "respect," which just so happens to be one of the main ideas behind communication ethics. Also learning is key in both communication ethics and dialogue. I found the most helpful part of the book being the guidelines to dialogue which were listening without demand, attentiveness, dialogic negotiation, and temporal dialogic ethical competence.

The book sort of hops around when it starts to talk about dialogic civility, which drew my attention from understanding the dialogic theory. Also there were a few inconstancies between authors. I feel like everything was smooth until I ran into Hans Gadamers ideas on dialogic engagement and his assumption that biases is central to human understanding. Based on his steps to dialogue I think he believes that communicators must not only listen but accept other peoples views and opinions, and as a whole come together and create one idea. This may be wrong, it was somewhat confusing.

After reading the chapter my understand of dialogue and its ethics is much better. When I compare it to the example given at the end of the section about Les Miserables and how the bishop and the dying revolutionary exchange viewpoints, and at the end of the conversation there is a sense of enlightenment. Both parties came in with their own views, and were open to hearing each other out, and at the end of the conversation they accepted each others points of view, and incorporated them into one idea.