1. Why an Ethics of Political Communication?
1.1 Introduction
1.2 What is Political Communication and How is it an Ethical Matter?
1.3 On the Challenges of Political Communication
1.4 The Cinderella of Ethical Inquiry
1.5 Political Morality
1.6 Political Legitimacy
1.7 Conclusion
2. Question Dodging
2.1 Introduction
2.2 What is Question Dodging?
2.3 Deception, Manipulation, and Interference in Autonomy
2.4 Political Accountability, Political Scrutiny, and Well-Informed Voters
2.5 Deliberative Respectfulness
2.6 Conclusion
3. Stonewalling
3.1 Introduction
3.2 What is Stonewalling?
3.3 Contempt
3.4 Political Accountability and Political Scrutiny
3.5 The Duty to Keep the Public Fully Informed
3.6 Conclusion
4. Disengagement
4.1 Introduction
4.2 What is Disengagement?
4.3 Epistemic Virtues and Vices
4.4 The Communicative Rights of the Affected
4.5 Conclusion
5. Flat Denials
5.1 Introduction
5.2 What Are Flat Denials?
5.3 Contempt and Spite
5.4 Deception, Manipulation, and Interference in Autonomy
5.5 Political Accountability, Political Scrutiny, and Well-Informed Voters
5.6 Distracting Public Debate and Debilitating Resistance
5.7 Conclusion
6. Revisionist Interpretations
6.1 Introduction
6.2 What Are Revisionist Interpretations?
6.3 Gaslighting
6.4 Taking Wrongful Advantage of the Vulnerable
6.5 Treating People Merely as Means to an End
6.6 Conclusion
7. Consent, Justifications, and Unintended Consequences
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Consent
7.3 Justifications
7.4 Unintended Consequences
7.5 Political Legitimacy Through Hypothetical Agreement
7.6 Conclusion
8. Nudges, Codes of Conduct, and Sanctions
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Prioritisation
8.3 Non-Regulatory Measures
8.4 Regulatory Measures
8.5 The Free-Rider Dilemma
8.6 Enforcement
8.7 Conclusion
9. Conclusion
9.1 Introduction
9.2 A Limited Ethics
9.3 On the Importance of Shared Responsibility
9.4 Wider Ramifications
9.5 The Need for Regulation
9.6 A Suprapartisan Ethics
Biography
Alexander Brown is a reader in political and legal theory at the University of East Anglia (UEA). He is the author of The Politics of Hate Speech Laws (2020), A Theory of Legitimate Expectations for Public Administration (2017), Hate Speech Law: A Philosophical Examination (2015), Ronald Dworkin’s Theory of Equality (2009), and Personal Responsibility: Why it Matters (2009).
"In the age of polarization and misinformation, Alexander Brown provides the essential guide to understanding the ethical challenges and the misuse of rhetorical tactics in contemporary political communication"
Robert E. Denton, Virginia Tech
