Ethics, or moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior. It is based on well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues. Ethics seeks to resolve questions of human morality by defining concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime.
There are three major areas of study within ethics recognized today:
- Meta-ethics, concerning the theoretical meaning and reference of moral propositions, and how their truth values (if any) can be determined.
- Normative ethics, concerning the practical means of determining a moral course of action.
- Applied ethics, concerning what a person is obligated (or permitted) to do in a specific situation or a profession.
Being ethical means conforming to accepted standards of conduct. It involves distinguishing between acceptable and unacceptable behavior and involves norms for conduct that distinguish between right and wrong. Ethical behavior is expected of every member of society, and it is related to values such as honesty, fairness, responsibility, and respect.
