Editing Ethics (section)

== Definition {{anchor|Defining ethics}} ==
[[File:Head of Aristotle.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|alt=Bust of Aristotle|According to [[Aristotle]], how to lead a good life is one of the central questions of ethics.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Vogt|2017|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=DXAuDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA42 42–43]}} | {{harvnb|Hollenbach|2002|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=QEKQxJZq-a8C&pg=PA3 3]}} }}</ref>]]

Ethics, also called moral philosophy, is the study of moral phenomena. It is one of the main branches of [[philosophy]] and investigates the nature of [[morality]] and the principles that govern the moral [[evaluation]] of [[Human behavior|conduct]], [[character traits]], and [[institution]]s. It examines what [[Moral obligation|obligations]] people have, what behavior is right and wrong, and how to lead a [[good]] life. Some of its key questions are "How should one live?" and "What gives [[Meaning of life|meaning to life]]?".<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Norman|2005|p=622}} | {{harvnb|Nagel|2006|loc=Lead section}} | {{harvnb|Crisp|2011|loc=§ 1. Ethics and Metaethics}} | {{harvnb|Deigh|1999|pp=284–285}} | {{harvnb|Mulvaney|2009|pp=vii–xi}} }}</ref> In contemporary philosophy, ethics is usually divided into [[normative ethics]], [[applied ethics]], and [[metaethics]].<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Pritchard|2015|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=EoH_CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA5 5]}} | {{harvnb|Dittmer|loc=§ 1. Applied Ethics as Distinct from Normative Ethics and Metaethic}} | {{harvnb|Jackson|Goldschmidt|Crummett|Chan|2021|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=SNlGEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA1 1–2]}}}}</ref>

Morality is about what people ought to do rather than what they actually do, what they want to do, or what [[social convention]]s require. As a rational and systematic field of inquiry, ethics studies practical reasons why people should act one way rather than another. Most ethical theories seek universal principles that express a general standpoint of what is objectively right and wrong.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Nagel|2006|loc=§ What Is Morality?}} | {{harvnb|Crisp|2011|loc=§ 1. Ethics and Metaethics}} | {{harvnb|Haiming|2021|pp=1–2}} | {{harvnb|Paul|Elder|2005|loc=§ Why a Mini-Guide on Ethical Reasoning?}} }}</ref> In a slightly different sense, the term ''ethics'' can also refer to individual ethical theories in the form of a rational system of moral principles, such as [[Aristotelian ethics]], and to a moral code that certain societies, social groups, or professions follow, as in [[Protestant work ethic]] and [[medical ethics]].<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|AHD staff|2022}} | {{harvnb|Crisp|2011|loc=§ 1. Ethics and Metaethics}} | {{harvnb|Deigh|1999|pp=284–285}} }}</ref>

The English word ''ethics'' has its roots in the [[Ancient Greek]] word {{tlit|grc|[[Ethos|êthos]]}} ({{lang|grc|ἦθος}}), meaning {{gloss|character}} and {{gloss|personal disposition}}. This word gave rise to the Ancient Greek word {{tlit|grc|ēthikós}} ({{lang|grc|ἠθικός}}), which was translated into [[Latin]] as {{lang|la|ethica}} and entered the English language in the 15th century through the [[Old French]] term {{lang|fr|éthique}}.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Hoad|1993|p=156}} | {{harvnb|Liddell|Scott|1889|p=[https://archive.org/details/intermediategree00lidd/page/n353/mode/2up?view=theater 349]}} | {{harvnb|Proscurcin Junior|2014|pp=162–168}} }}</ref> The term ''morality'' originates in the Latin word {{lang|la|moralis}}, meaning {{gloss|manners}} and {{gloss|character}}. It was introduced into the English language during the [[Middle English]] period through the Old French term {{lang|fro|moralité}}.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|OED Staff|2002}} | {{harvnb|Hoad|1993|p=300}} }}</ref>

The terms ''ethics'' and ''morality'' are usually used interchangeably but some philosophers distinguish between the two. According to one view, morality focuses on what moral obligations people have while ethics is broader and includes ideas about what is good and how to lead a meaningful life. Another difference is that codes of conduct in specific areas, such as business and environment, are usually termed ''ethics'' rather than morality, as in [[business ethics]] and [[environmental ethics]].<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Athanassoulis|2012|pp=22–27}} | {{harvnb|Downie|2005|p=271}} | {{harvnb|Blum|2006}} }}</ref>