3.2 The Ethics Pyramid

3.2 The Ethics Pyramid

The Ethics Pyramid: Intent, Means, and Ends

Ethical public speaking requires thoughtful decision-making throughout the communication process. Elspeth Tilley, a scholar in communication ethics, developed the Ethics Pyramid, a model that helps speakers and listeners evaluate ethical behavior through three components: intent, means, and ends.

Intent refers to the speaker’s motivation. Ethical communication begins with honest and respectful intentions. A speaker should aim to inform, persuade, or entertain without misleading or manipulating the audience. Evaluating intent involves reflecting on whether the speaker’s goals align with principles such as honesty, fairness, and transparency. Consulting professional codes of ethics or considering how one would perceive the behavior from the audience’s perspective can help clarify ethical intent. Even unintentional actions, such as unknowingly using someone else’s words, can raise ethical concerns.

Means are the methods used to achieve communication goals. Ethical speakers choose strategies that respect others and promote understanding. While multiple approaches may lead to the same outcome, not all are ethically equal. Persuasion through reasoned argument is more ethical than coercion or deception. Selecting appropriate means involves considering the impact of one’s behavior on others and choosing actions that uphold integrity and respect.

Ends are the outcomes of communication. Ethical evaluation of ends considers whether the results benefit both the speaker and the audience. A goal may appear positive, but if it causes harm or unfairness, it may not be ethically sound. Ethical speakers assess the consequences of their communication and strive for outcomes that reflect mutual respect and responsibility.

The Ethics Pyramid encourages communicators to think critically about their purpose, methods, and results. Ethical public speaking is not only about what is said, but also why it is said, how it is delivered, and what impact it has.

Thinking through the Pyramid

Ultimately, understanding ethics is a matter of balancing all three parts of the ethical pyramid: intent, means, and ends. When thinking about the ethics of a given behavior, Tilley recommends asking yourself three basic questions:

1. “Have I discussed the ethicality of the behavior with others and come to a general consensus that the behavior is ethical?”
2. “Does the behavior adhere to known codes of ethics?”
3. “Would I be happy if the outcomes of the behavior were reversed and applied to me?” (Tilley, 2005)

These questions provide a useful framework for thinking through a behavior when you are not sure whether a given action, or statement, may be unethical. Ultimately, understanding ethics is a matter of balancing all three parts of the ethical pyramid: intent, means, and ends.

Licenses and Attribution

CC Licensed Content, Original

Speech Communication was created by Lana Iapicco and Marie Torres. Independently created original and AI-assisted content developed specifically for this book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

This educational material includes content generated or revised with the assistance of large language models. Lana Iapicco and Marie Torres reviewed, edited, and take responsibility for the final published content.

CC Licensed Content, Previously Shared

“The Ethics Pyramid” is adapted from “5.1 The Ethics Pyramid” by Douglas Marshall, James Yeargain, June Pulliam, Sara Kim, and Victoria VanNest, published in It’s About Them: Public Speaking in the 21st Century by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network.

The source material is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. The material was revised, reorganized, condensed, updated, and supplemented with original and AI-assisted content for this edition.

Adapted portions derived from this source, including revisions to those portions, are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Independently created portions developed specifically for Speech Communication are licensed under the book’s Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

CC Licensed Images and Diagrams

ETHICS

Photograph by Dannon Loveland, available through Flickr.
License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License.
Changes: The photograph was resized, and its alternative text and caption were revised for this edition.

Ethics Pyramid

Diagram adapted from “5.1 The Ethics Pyramid” in It’s About Them: Public Speaking in the 21st Century by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network. The model is based on Elspeth Tilley’s Ethics Pyramid, consisting of intent, means, and ends.
License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Changes: The diagram was reformatted, and its alternative text and caption were revised for this edition.

Other Content Included

Ethics Pyramid model and evaluative questions

Tilley, E. (2005). The ethics pyramid: Making ethics unavoidable in the public relations process. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 20, 305–320.
This article is the source of the Ethics Pyramid model based on intent, means, and ends and supports the three evaluative questions quoted in this section. The publication remains subject to the rights of its author and publisher and is not included under the Creative Commons licenses applied to Speech Communication.

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Scholarly publications, models, quotations, linked webpages, trademarks, and other third-party materials referenced in this section remain the property of their respective authors, publishers, organizations, and copyright holders. Their inclusion as citations, links, or examples does not place them under the Creative Commons licenses applied to Speech Communication.

Unless a separate license is specifically identified, third-party content may not be copied, redistributed, or adapted independently of the permissions provided by its copyright holder or applicable law.