Ethics, Communication, and Roles

The paper explores how the roles individuals inhabit—such as professional or political positions—influence their opinions and the morality of their communication. The author distinguishes between 'ex ante' views (held before taking a role) and 'ex post' views (assumed because of a role), suggesting that many public conflicts are driven by transferable role-based loyalties rather than deep moral chasms. Using examples ranging from sports rivalries to the dispute between Hillary Clinton and the New York Times over Wikileaks, the author argues that recognizing these role-driven positions can foster more honest and civil discourse. However, the author emphasizes that this humility should not extend to hate speech or fascist ideologies, such as those of Anders Behring Breivik, which represent non-transferable violations of human dignity and require active societal confrontation.

• The author proposes a distinction between 'ex ante' and 'ex post' relationships between roles and opinions. In the ex ante case, individuals hold views prior to taking a role; in the ex post case, a person "simply assumes the views and opinions associated with that role after taking it on."
• Many public disagreements are based on 'transferable' loyalties where the parties could have easily switched roles without a substantial change in their core beliefs. The author argues that such "Transferable and non-substantial differences of taste, loyalty, or opinion should not lead to violent or otherwise brutal confrontations, but should rather elicit a certain mutual respect."
• The dispute between Hillary Clinton and David Sanger of the New York Times regarding Wikileaks is presented as an example of role-driven communication. The author asserts that both figures could have easily inhabited the other's role and that their opposing positions "more or less automatically follows from the role"
• The author identifies four archetypes of disagreement: deep differences in basic formative norms (e.g., democrat vs. fascist), everyday political differences within a democracy, assuming opinions based on professional expectations while maintaining a personal conscience, and purely role-playing positions (such as in a debating society).
• To improve public discourse, the author suggests four moral imperatives: being conscious of the roles one plays, avoiding the incessant portrayal of opponents as evil or stupid, taking opinions seriously as expressions of values, and accepting that uttering opinions in the public sphere "entails moral responsibility."
• The author argues that while free speech is essential, hate-filled speech and ideologies—specifically citing the manifesto and actions of Anders Behring Breivik—cannot be treated as mere 'opinions' because they reflect a "deep-seated lack of respect for basic human rights and human dignity."

APA

Syse, H. (2017). Ethics, Communication, and Roles. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/33a96dc3-a195-45a3-be92-f51271ed9831/Ethics Communication and Roles.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Syse, Henrik. Ethics, Communication, and Roles. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2017. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/33a96dc3-a195-45a3-be92-f51271ed9831/Ethics Communication and Roles.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Syse |first1=Henrik |title=Ethics, Communication, and Roles |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2017 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/33a96dc3-a195-45a3-be92-f51271ed9831/Ethics Communication and Roles.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{syse2017ethics, author = {Syse, Henrik}, title = {{Ethics, Communication, and Roles}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2017}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/33a96dc3-a195-45a3-be92-f51271ed9831/Ethics Communication and Roles.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }