The Ethics of Dialogue

This analytical worksheet is designed for students in Grades 8, 9, and 10 to deepen understanding of ethical communication through Josef Pieper’s ideas about dialogue, truth, and responsibility. Learners compare the roles of the speaker and the listener in a structured chart, examining each role’s duties, virtues, and potential risks when misused. Reflective questions then prompt students to apply these ideas to real conversations, civic discourse, and modern communication.

Learning Goals

• Ethics of Speaking & Listening (Grades 8-10)
  Students analyze the moral responsibilities involved in both expressing ideas and receiving them.
• Analyzing Author’s Argument & Purpose
  Learners interpret Pieper’s claims about truth, accountability, and authentic dialogue.
• Structured Ethical Reasoning
  The comparison chart helps students organize traits, responsibilities, and consequences clearly.
• Application to Civic & Personal Communication
  Reflection prompts connect philosophical ideas to classrooms, media, and public discourse.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource
  Designed by educators to align with secondary ELA, philosophy, and social studies standards.
• Balanced Focus on Dialogue
  Emphasizes that ethical communication depends on both speaker integrity and listener responsibility.
• Supports Critical Thinking & Reflection
  Encourages students to evaluate how dialogue can protect-or distort-truth.
• Discussion-Ready Design
  Works well as preparation for class discussion, Socratic seminars, or ethics debates.
• Printable & No-Prep
  Easy to implement in classroom or homeschool settings.

This The Ethics of Dialogue worksheet helps students examine how communication carries moral weight. By analyzing the roles of speaker and listener and reflecting on mutual respect and accountability, learners strengthen ethical reasoning, communication awareness, and civic responsibility. Whether used in an ELA, philosophy, or social studies classroom, this printable resource offers meaningful practice in understanding how ethical dialogue sustains truth and authentic human connection.

This worksheet is part of our Abuse of Language, Abuse of Power collection.