Editing Morality (section)

== Descriptive and normative ==
In its descriptive sense, "morality" refers to [[Value (personal and cultural)|personal or cultural values]], [[code of conduct|codes of conduct]] or social [[mores]] that are observed to be accepted by a significant number of individuals (not necessarily all) in a society. It does not connote objective claims of right or wrong, but only refers to claims of right and wrong that are seen to be made and to conflicts between different claims made. [[Descriptive ethics]] is the branch of philosophy which studies morality in this sense.<ref name="Gert">{{Cite book|url=https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/morality-definition/|title=The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy|last1=Gert|first1=Bernard|last2=Gert|first2=Joshua|chapter=The Definition of Morality |date=2020|publisher=Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University|editor-last=Zalta|editor-first=Edward N.|edition=Fall 2020}}</ref>

In its [[normative]] sense, "morality" refers to whatever (if anything) is ''actually'' right or wrong, which may be independent of the values or mores held by any particular peoples or cultures. [[Normative ethics]] is the branch of philosophy which studies morality in this sense.<ref name="Gert"/>