Print Email Facebook Twitter Gossip as a Burdened Virtue Title Gossip as a Burdened Virtue Author Alfano, M.R. (TU Delft Ethics & Philosophy of Technology) Robinson, Brian (Texas A&M-Kingsville) Date 2017 Abstract Gossip is often serious business, not idle chitchat. Gossip allows those oppressed to privately name their oppressors as a warning to others. Of course, gossip can be in error. The speaker may be lying or merely have lacked sufficient evidence. Bias can also make those who hear the gossip more or less likely to believe the gossip. By examining the social functions of gossip and considering the differences in power dynamics in which gossip can occur, we contend that gossip may be not only permissible but virtuous, both as the only reasonable recourse available and as a means of resistance against oppression. Subject Burdened virtueGossipReputationSocial epistemologyVirtue To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:a7f9a0ce-1871-4e11-806e-c72da0058084 DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s10677-017-9809-y ISSN 1386-2820 Source Ethical Theory and Moral Practice: an international forum, 20 (3), 473-487 Part of collection Institutional Repository Document type journal article Rights © 2017 M.R. Alfano, Brian Robinson Files PDF 10.1007_s10677_017_9809_y.pdf 450.08 KB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:a7f9a0ce-1871-4e11-806e-c72da0058084/datastream/OBJ/view