Of What Good Is Noble Speech?

An evil intent? As for the second one, I believe it is called lies.

If speech has no noble intent or no noble conclusions it is worthless in both a teleological and a deontological sense.

I think the person who uttered them would also be lacking the virtues of integrity and honesty as well.

I take it you heard the coronation speech then?

TF

didn't have to ......but I'm sure it was all that and more....

A man of words, but not of deeds
Is like a garden full of weeds.

A man of deeds but not of words,
a garden full of singing birds.

Re: Of What Good Is Noble Speech?
A noble speech is a noble speech, no matter the intent. Those who make the speech, that is different.
If Bush says he wants a world where all people are free, that sentence is valid, because it is noble to wish such a thing.
If Bush is not sincere, and I think he is, then the problem is in his sincerity.

Another problem, however, is that, because you know the person who made the speech, you try to give it a meaning according to what you know from that person. In the case of Bush, you would say that by "free" he thinks of freedom for the great corporations or that his concept of freedom is nothing more than to accept the rules and standards of US.
Here the problem is in the meaning of a word, or sentence, according to it's use.

Pandering

Noddy, I am a bird on the weed... The truth of your post shocked me...

Cyracuz--

Ancient wisdom, learned at my mother's knee.

I just Googled and found this nursery rhyme.A Man of Words and Not Deeds
A man of words and not of deeds
Is like a garden full of weeds
And when the weeds begin to grow
It's like a garden full of snow
And when the snow begins to fall
It's like a bird upon the wall
And when the bird away does fly
It's like an eagle in the sky
And when the sky begins to roar
It's like a lion at the door
And when the door begins to crack
It's like a stick across your back
And when your back begins to smart
It's like a penknife in your heart
And when your heart begins to bleed
You're dead, and dead, and dead indeed.

By noble speech I assume you refer to high-floating rhetoric? "Once more into the breach dear friends" and that sort of thing?

Noble speech whether of good intent or not I assume triggers peoples' learned assosciations to create good intent in the listener. Thus making noble speech a good end in and of itself.

However this assosciation can be used to assosciate this good intent with evil actions, for example "We must round up foreigners, for national security to defend freedom and liberty".

So in short I say language can be used for good or ill, no matter how prettily it is dressed. Paying attention to the meaning of what is said, rather than the sound is a useful defence.