The piece of evidence which best demonstrates my ability to achieve the seventh learning

objective of the communication discipline at Bryant University, to apply ethical communication

principles and practices, is the second paper written for my Studies in Film Noir course, about
the Penfield Mood Organ from the book, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K.
Dick. In the noir and neo-noir genre, the darker side of human condition is presented with
complex character and plot development. Additionally, film and literature of these genres present
different social, political, historical issues that have ethical implications. This book presents each
of these issues in a futuristic setting that had many possible paper topics to engage in the issues
that arise from the neo-noir genre. In the book, the Penfield Mood Organ is a device which can
be used to control peoples emotional states at the turn of a dial, with the range of numbers on the
dial indicating a wide variety of emotional states and feelings of emotion. Such a device could be
used in many different ways and lead to the types of issues presented in the neo-noir genre. This
paper was written on the ethical implications that would arise if the technology existed for this
device to be invented and adopted into present day society. The paper takes a look at the
potential benefits the device could have for individuals that would use the device for good
reasons, the negative impact the device could have on certain people and the negative
consequences that could arise if people were to use the device for bad reasons.
This paper about the Penfield Mood Organ was chosen to demonstrate my ability to
achieve the seventh learning objective because of its varying perspectives on the ethical
implications of the device if it were to exist in present day society. The paper takes a look into
the main character, Rick Deckard, who represents an individual that would use the device for
good reasons, along with the ethical implications that would arise for someone like him, Iran
Deckard, who represents someone that could become negatively impacted by the use of the

device, and people that would use the device for criminal or deviant means. By viewing the
device and ethics in these different perspectives, it demonstrates the first goal of the learning
objective, to identify ethical perspectives. In discussing the positive use of the device, operating
and communicating with others in an ethical manner, the second goal of the learning objective, to
communicate with ethical intention, is displayed. The main argument of the paper is that the
device would have potential risks that would outweigh the potential gains of its use, proving to
be harmful and detrimental towards present day society. This argument reflects the third goal of
the learning objective, proposing a solution to the unethical communication and reasons for using
the device that would harm society. Finally, the paper presents evidence from the book involving
conversations between Rick and Iran that show Ricks positive and ethical use of the device, as
well as Irans negative and unethical use of the device. Additionally, it discusses the potential
consequences of using the device for criminal use and people using the device to communicate in
a deviant way. These conversations between Rick and Iran, as well as discussing the use of the
device to communicate in a deviant way, reflect the fourth and final goal of the learning
objective, to evaluate the ethical elements of a communication situation. This paper about the
Penfield Mood Organ displays all of the key goals of the seventh learning objective.