Discuss the ethical issues associated with advertising.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Advertising provides information for market exchanges and therefore contributes to market efficiency and to overall happiness. Advertising information also contributes to the information necessary for autonomous individuals to make informed choices. But each of these rationales assumes that the information is true and accurate.
The principle-based tradition in ethics would have the strongest objections to manipulation. Manipulation is a clear example of disrespect for persons since it bypasses their own rational decision making. Because the evil rests with the intention to use another as a means, even unsuccessful manipulations are guilty of this ethical wrong.
The utilitarian tradition would offer a more conditional critique of manipulation, depending on the consequences. There surely can be cases of paternalistic manipulation, in which someone is manipulated for their own good. But even in such cases, unforeseen harms can occur. In general, because most manipulation is done to further the manipulator's own ends at the expense of the manipulated, utilitarians would be inclined to think that manipulation lessens overall happiness.
A particularly egregious form of manipulation occurs when vulnerable people are targeted for abuse. Cigarette advertising aimed at children and marketing practices targeted at elderly populations for such goods and services as insurance, nursing homes etc. are examples.