What is Ethics?

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The term “ethics” comes from the Greek word “ethos,” which means character or custom. Ethics is the branch of philosophy that studies the rightness or wrongness of human actions. It is concerned with defining, through the use of reason, what a good action is, what the good life is, and how human persons ought to act.


Ethics vs. Morality

It is important to note that ethics is not the same as morality. Ethics is more theoretical. It centers on a more general problem, that is, on the theory of good action and the ultimate good. It seeks to understand, through systematic and critical study, the underlying assumptions and principles of morality.

Morality, on the other hand, is more practical and prescriptive. It proposes norms and actions that ought to be done in particular situations in order to attain the greatest good. It aims to guide human action while taking into account the interests of the people affected by it.

Based on these general descriptions, it may be said that ethics is the science of morals, while morality is the practice of ethics.


Types of Ethics

There are three main types of ethical theories: normative ethics, metaethics, and applied ethics.

A. Normative Ethics

Normative ethics is prescriptive in nature. It sets norms that regulate good and bad conduct. This may involve articulating the good habits that we should acquire, the duties that we should follow, or the consequences of our behavior on others. In other words, normative ethics develops guidelines that tell us how we ought to behave. An example would be Immanuel Kant’s claim that to be morally good one should do things for the sake of duty.


B. Metaethics

Metaethics, on the other hand, is descriptive in nature. If normative ethics prescribes norms, metaethics analyzes and questions the meanings and functions of ethical terms. It does so in order to understand the nature and dynamics of ethical principles. Thus, for example, if normative ethics urges us to do good at all times, metaethics asks questions such as “What is the ‘good’?” and “What does ‘doing good’ mean?”. Plato, in his work The Republic, tried to answer the metaethical question “Why should I be moral?”.


C. Applied Ethics

Lastly, applied ethics is practical in nature. It is the application of moral theories in order to decide which action is appropriate in a given situation. As such, applied ethicists are concerned with individual moral problems, such as abortion and euthanasia, and attempt to resolve their conflicting moral issues. On some occasions, they may advise and guide individuals in moral dilemmas in choosing the best possible course of action. For example, they may help resolve the conflicting duties of a mother suffering from ectopic pregnancy and who has no other option than to abort her fetus.

Applied ethics is usually subdivided into different fields, such as:

  • Business ethics, which deals with ethical behavior in the corporate world;
  • Biomedical and environmental ethics, which is concerned with moral issues related to the welfare and the responsibility we have towards other people and the environment; and
  • Social ethics, which centers on the principles and guidelines that regulate corporate welfare within societies.


References

Albert, E., Denise, T., and Peterfreund, S. Great Traditions in Ethics. 5th ed. California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1984.

McConnell, T. “Review: On the Nature and Scope of Morality.” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 54, no. 2 (1994): 421-425.

Sumner, L. W. “Normative Ethics and Metaethics.” Ethics 77, (1967): 95–106.

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