{"id":91,"date":"2022-03-08T13:34:27","date_gmt":"2022-03-08T13:34:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.hcfl.edu\/speechcomm\/chapter\/the-ethics-pyramid\/"},"modified":"2026-07-22T17:29:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T17:29:43","slug":"the-ethics-pyramid","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.hcfl.edu\/speechcomm\/chapter\/the-ethics-pyramid\/","title":{"raw":"3.2 The Ethics Pyramid","rendered":"3.2 The Ethics Pyramid"},"content":{"raw":"

3.2 The Ethics Pyramid<\/h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_812\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]\"Drawing ETHICS. Photograph by Dannon Loveland, licensed under CC BY 2.0.[\/caption]\r\n

The Ethics Pyramid: Intent, Means, and Ends<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_90\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]\"An Figure 5.1 \u201cEthical Pyramid\u201d Ethics Pyramid showing intent, means, and ends. Adapted from \u201cThe Ethics Pyramid\u201d in It\u2019s About Them: Public Speaking in the 21st Century by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nEthical public speaking requires thoughtful decision-making throughout the communication process. Elspeth Tilley, a scholar in communication ethics, developed the [pb_glossary id=\"537\"]Ethics Pyramid[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong>, a model that helps speakers and listeners evaluate ethical behavior through three components: intent<\/strong>, means<\/strong>, and ends<\/strong>.\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"543\"]Intent[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong> refers to the speaker\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s perspective can help clarify ethical intent. Even unintentional actions, such as unknowingly using someone else\u2019s words, can raise ethical concerns.\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"545\"]Means[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong> 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\u2019s behavior on others and choosing actions that uphold integrity and respect.\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"535\"]Ends[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong> 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.\r\n\r\nThe 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.\r\n

Thinking through the Pyramid<\/h3>\r\nUltimately, 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:\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. \u201cHave I discussed the ethicality of the behavior with others and come to a general consensus that the behavior is ethical?\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. \u201cDoes the behavior adhere to known codes of ethics?\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. \u201cWould I be happy if the outcomes of the behavior were reversed and applied to me?\u201d (Tilley, 2005)<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nThese 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.\r\n

    Licenses and Attribution<\/h3>\r\n

    CC Licensed Content, Original<\/h4>\r\nSpeech Communication<\/em> 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<\/a>, except where otherwise noted.\r\n\r\nThis 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.\r\n

    CC Licensed Content, Previously Shared<\/h4>\r\n\u201cThe Ethics Pyramid\u201d<\/strong> is adapted from \u201c5.1 The Ethics Pyramid\u201d<\/a> by Douglas Marshall, James Yeargain, June Pulliam, Sara Kim, and Victoria VanNest, published in It\u2019s About Them: Public Speaking in the 21st Century<\/a><\/em> by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network.\r\n\r\nThe source material is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License<\/a>. The material was revised, reorganized, condensed, updated, and supplemented with original and AI-assisted content for this edition.\r\n\r\nAdapted portions derived from this source, including revisions to those portions, are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License<\/a>. Independently created portions developed specifically for Speech Communication<\/em> are licensed under the book\u2019s Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License<\/a>, except where otherwise noted.\r\n

    CC Licensed Images and Diagrams<\/h4>\r\n

    ETHICS<\/strong><\/h5>\r\nPhotograph by Dannon Loveland<\/a>, available through Flickr.\r\nLicense: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License<\/a>.\r\nChanges: The photograph was resized, and its alternative text and caption were revised for this edition.\r\n
    Ethics Pyramid<\/strong><\/h5>\r\nDiagram adapted from \u201c5.1 The Ethics Pyramid\u201d<\/a> in It\u2019s About Them: Public Speaking in the 21st Century<\/em> by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network. The model is based on Elspeth Tilley\u2019s Ethics Pyramid, consisting of intent, means, and ends.\r\nLicense: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License<\/a>.\r\nChanges: The diagram was reformatted, and its alternative text and caption were revised for this edition.\r\n

    Other Content Included<\/h4>\r\n

    Ethics Pyramid model and evaluative questions<\/strong><\/h5>\r\nTilley, E. (2005). The ethics pyramid: Making ethics unavoidable in the public relations process. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 20<\/em>, 305\u2013320.\r\nThis 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<\/em>.\r\n

    Third-Party References and Links<\/h4>\r\nScholarly 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<\/em>.\r\n\r\nUnless 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.","rendered":"

    3.2 The Ethics Pyramid<\/h2>\n
    \"Drawing
    ETHICS. Photograph by Dannon Loveland, licensed under CC BY 2.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    The Ethics Pyramid: Intent, Means, and Ends<\/strong><\/h3>\n
    \"An
    Figure 5.1 \u201cEthical Pyramid\u201d Ethics Pyramid showing intent, means, and ends. Adapted from \u201cThe Ethics Pyramid\u201d in It\u2019s About Them: Public Speaking in the 21st Century by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Ethical public speaking requires thoughtful decision-making throughout the communication process. Elspeth Tilley, a scholar in communication ethics, developed the