Etyczne i wychowawcze aspekty opinii publicznej

This paper is concerned with the issue of public opinion considered from two points of view: ethical and educational. It has been inspired by the insufficient knowledge of society about public opinion as well as the gullibility of the general public as regards the acceptance of the results of public opinion polls. Therefore, the ethical and educational dimension of this phenomenon are not recognized, which results in a severe lack of research and publications on the topic. The paper consists of three parts. The first part introduces basic facts about public opinion and its major mechanisms. The second one deals with the phenomenon of public opinion as an ethical problem, while the third one is devoted to the problem of education aimed at the development of mature perception of public opinion and active participation in the process. The problem of public opinion is treated as an important and urgent task for ethicists and teachers. This seems relevant as an increasing influence of public opinion on both individuals and a whole society is observed in various areas, including politics, economy, culture and trade. Public opinion also affects an information order, which is of significance to the state and its citizens in the light of the emergence of a communication society.