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. The field of ethics concerns matters of value, along with aesthetics, and these fields comprise the branch of philosophy called axiology.
There are three major areas of study within ethics recognized today:
- Meta-ethics: This area concerns the theoretical meaning and reference of moral propositions, and how their truth values (if any) can be determined.
- Normative ethics: This area concerns the practical means of determining a moral course of action.
- Applied ethics: This area concerns the application of normative theories to practical moral problems, such as those arising from medical, business, or environmental issues.
Ethics examines the rational justification for our moral judgments and studies what is morally right or wrong, just or unjust. Although most societies use laws to enforce widely accepted moral standards, ethics and law are not the same. Most people learn ethical norms at home, at school, in church, or in other social settings, and moral development occurs throughout life.
