Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Ethics
Eth′ics
(ĕth′ĭks)
, Noun.
[Cf. F.
éthique
. See Ethic
.] The science of human duty; the body of rules of duty drawn from this science; a particular system of principles and rules concerting duty, whether true or false; rules of practice in respect to a single class of human actions;
as, political or social
ethics
; medical ethics
.The completeness and consistency of its morality is the peculiar praise of the
ethics
which the Bible has taught. I. Taylor.
Webster 1828 Edition
Ethics
ETH'ICS
,Noun.
1.
A system of moral principles; a system of rules for regulating the actions and manners of men in society.Ethiops martial, black oxyd of iron; iron in the form of a very fine powder, and in the first state of calcination.
Ethiops mineral, a combination of mercury and sulphur, of a black color; black sulphuret of mercury.
Definition 2024
ethics
ethics
English
Noun
ethics (uncountable)
- (philosophy) The study of principles relating to right and wrong conduct.
- Morality.
- The standards that govern the conduct of a person, especially a member of a profession.
Usage notes
- Although the terms ethics and morality may sometimes be used interchangeably, philosophical ethicists often distinguish them, using ethics to refer to theories and conceptual studies relating to good and evil and right and wrong, and using morality and its related terms to refer to actual, real-world beliefs and practices concerning proper conduct. In this vein, the American philosopher Brand Blanshard wrote concerning his friend, the eminent British ethicist G. E. Moore: "We often discussed ethics, but seldom morals. . . . He was a master in ethical theory, but did not conceive himself as specially qualified to pass opinions on politics or social issues." [1]
- In particular, in general usage ethical is used to describe standards of behavior between individuals, while moral or immoral can describe any behavior. You can call lying unethical or immoral, for example, because it involves the behavior of one person and how it affects another, but violating dietary prohibitions in a holy text would be described as immoral.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Terms derived from ethics
Related terms
Translations
study of principles governing right and wrong conduct
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standards of conduct
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See also
External links
- ethics at OneLook Dictionary Search
References
- ↑ Paul Schilpp, ed., The Philosophy of Brand Blanshard, Library of Living Philosophers, ISBN 0875483496, "Autobiography", p. 85.