Editing Ethics (section)

{{Short description|Philosophical study of morality}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2014}}

'''Ethics''' is the [[philosophy|philosophical]] study of [[Morality|moral]] phenomena. Also called '''moral philosophy''', it investigates [[Normativity|normative]] questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches include [[normative ethics]], [[applied ethics]], and [[metaethics]].

Normative ethics aims to find general principles that govern how people should act. Applied ethics examines concrete ethical problems in real-life situations, such as [[abortion]], [[treatment of animals]], and [[Business ethics|business practices]]. Metaethics explores the underlying assumptions and concepts of ethics. It asks whether there are objective moral facts, how moral knowledge is possible, and how moral judgments motivate people. Influential normative theories are [[consequentialism]], [[deontology]], and [[virtue ethics]]. According to consequentialists, an act is right if it leads to the best consequences. Deontologists focus on acts themselves, saying that they must adhere to [[Duty|duties]], like telling the truth and keeping promises. Virtue ethics sees the manifestation of [[virtue]]s, like [[courage]] and [[compassion]], as the fundamental principle of morality.

Ethics is closely connected to [[value theory]], which studies the nature and types of [[Value (ethics and social sciences)|value]], like the contrast between [[Instrumental and intrinsic value|intrinsic and instrumental value]]. [[Moral psychology]] is a related empirical field and investigates psychological processes involved in morality, such as [[moral reasoning|reasoning]] and the formation of [[moral character|character]]. [[Descriptive ethics]] describes the dominant moral codes and beliefs in different societies and considers their historical dimension.

The [[history of ethics]] started in the [[ancient period]] with the development of ethical principles and theories in [[ancient Egypt]], [[Ancient India|India]], [[Ancient China|China]], and [[Ancient Greece|Greece]]. This period saw the emergence of ethical teachings associated with [[Hinduism]], [[Buddhism]], [[Confucianism]], [[Daoism]], and contributions of philosophers like [[Socrates]] and [[Aristotle]]. During the [[medieval period]], ethical thought was strongly influenced by religious teachings. In the [[modern period]], this focus shifted to a more [[Secular ethics|secular approach]] concerned with moral experience, [[practical reason|reasons for acting]], and the consequences of actions. An influential development in the 20th century was the emergence of metaethics.