What is Ethics: Definition and 70 Discussions

Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior". The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns matters of value; these fields comprise the branch of philosophy called axiology.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. As a field of intellectual inquiry, moral philosophy is related to the fields of moral psychology, descriptive ethics, and value theory.
Three major areas of study within ethics recognized today are:
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 particular domain of action.

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  1. L

    Can Mathematics Prove the Need for Ethics and Unity Among Elites?

    John Nash proved you have to think not only about yourself. Is possible to prove that people should be ethical with mathematics? If somebody proved that absolute truth exists and, for example, economists read another proof written in business language that they should choose to follow...
  2. cepheid

    Ethics as a framework for society?

    Since beginning my university studies in the area of Engineering Physics, I have heard many descriptions of mathematics. Slowly, a picture has developed in my mind of mathematics as a logic based, internally self-consistent framework...a solid foundation upon which the echelons of the natural...
  3. A

    Ethics with web page copyrights

    Hey guys; I've a question for you all. Say I find a webpage that someone wrote, and it may or may not have some copyright. This isn't like a published book or anything, it's just a text of some junk. Say I like the text, and want people to be able to access it. If I put a link to it on...
  4. C

    Finding the Physics Code of Ethics

    Can someone please tell me where I may find a page with the 'Code of Ethics' for Physics? In my Humanities class, we are required to bring in a copy of the code of ethics for our major...and mine is Physics; however, I have looked in a few places online with no avail. Any help, links, etc...
  5. Loren Booda

    News Kerry vs Bush: honesty, trust and ethics

    Of the candidates Bush and Kerry, whom do you personally believe more honest, whom would you rather trust with your life, and whom do you consider more ethical?
  6. Kerrie

    Morals vs Ethics: What is the Difference?

    Is there a difference, and if so what is it in your opinion?
  7. S

    Will World Peace Be Achieved If Violence Is Removed?

    I had a dream a little while ago. It was an amazing dream as sometimes dreams are. Here goes: Standing in front of me in a large stadium on a stage in front of the worlds TV cameras was a simple looking man that we have come to know as God. The world had known for sometime that this...
  8. O

    To do with the Philosophy of Ethics

    Does anyone know what "Paternalism" mean? This concept was adressed in "Causing and Death and Saving Lives" by Glover. So does anyone know? Thanks in advance...
  9. Dissident Dan

    Ethics of Immigration Restriction

    Has anyone ever considered the philsophy relating to restricting the immigration of people for reasons other than because a particular individual poses a threat? Right now, there are many people in nearby nations who would love to come to the USA, but can't. Is it right or acceptable to...
  10. agro

    Student Ethics in Class - Navigating Academic Day 2

    This is my second academic day in university (1st academic day is when the first class starts). I have some question, in which your opinion would be welcomed! 1) Sound Volume: A female lecturer talked with a very low volume. I already asked her to speak louder. She said "OK, I'll speak as...
  11. Q

    Are Ethics an artificial, man-made concept?

    Are Ethics an artificial, "man-made" concept? I'm going to present a few questions regarding ethics that I'd like people to answer. This will, perhaps, help me understand the topic better and it might help to prevent me from going over ideas that already exist on the topic of Ethics. 1. What...
  12. Another God

    Where do ethics come from and how do they shape society?

    This thread is an attempt to explain my personal concept of ethics. It has come about because of the number of ethics related threads that have come up lately, and the agreements reached by certain people in those threads. I am more interested in finding people who have objections to what I am...
  13. Another God

    Learning About Contemporary Thought in Ethics

    Hi everyone. Some of you may know (although most wouldn't) that I have some of my own quite strongly held beliefs about ethics, how they actually work, what they actually are, and how people continue deluding themselves into some sort of cosmic significance of the 'sanctity of life' and 'rights'...
  14. FZ+

    Should We Eat Meat If the Animal Wants to Be Eaten?

    I'm not sure if any of you read Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy series of SF books, but in "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe", there is an interesting scenario which has clearly induced me to take the unwise step of opening a discussion around it. Below is from memory...
  15. E

    Is it ethical to pursue a summer fling while in a serious relationship?

    I don't know if any of you remember this, but a few weeks ago I posted a thread in the General Discussion concerning my summer girlfriend situation. Okay, so I think I have a bit of an ethical dilemma now... I met a very nice, very pretty, Finnish girl in a bar last night. Honestly, I...
  16. E

    What are Some Ethical Issues in Chemistry and Science?

    hey people, i have to write an approx. 10 page paper on some topic concerning an ethical issue in chemistry (or science in general) due monday. i am having difficulties thinking of a topic. any ideas? thnx
  17. I

    Is animal experimentation ethical?

    Beagles, Macaques and Rats: Animal Experimentation Stem Cell Utilization Just Wars LaVeyan Satanism Deafness in Children, Choice? Healthcare Costs and the Uninsured Eugenics Conjoined Twins: Jodie and Mary Why Punish Attempted Murder Less Than Murder? A thread to discuss the...
  18. E

    Ethics in Chemistry: Ideas for Undergrad Paper

    I am taking an undergrad course "ethics in chemistry" and I have to write a paper on a topic that deals with.. well... ethics in chemistry. :) I have some ideas, but in short... I am having a hard time deciding. Any ideas as to something interesting one can write about?
  19. E

    An undergrad course: Ethics in Chemistry

    I am constructing an undergraduate course that deals with ethics in science, particularly in the field of chemistry. Does anybody have any suggestions on material I should cover, and any good books that are thought provoking enough that ought to be used?
  20. Kerrie

    What are the ethics of science?

    This question stems from a topic about cloning in my philosophyforums.com ... as i was debating the negatives of cloning, this person claimed that science will move in a forward direction, regardless of the consequences we as humans face... my question then is this; do scientists follow an...
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