Ethics

Ethics refers to a branch of philosophy concerned with fundamental questions of the good, what it means to live a good and virtuous life and right and wrong. Ethics has historically been taught as a kind of foundational aspect of education and learning. Ethics is likely to be discussed as a specialty in philosophy broadly and as a focus within a profession or discipline (e.g., bioethics, business ethics). This entry begins with a brief overview of ethics as well as the importance of organized structures that offer ethical standards for individuals and groups. It then provides a life-span perspective of various ethical considerations, dilemmas, and aspirations that are noteworthy from childhood to older adulthood. Unique challenges and aspirations emerge across the life span and are worth considering when applying broad ethical statements to individual circumstances that arise.

Major branches of ethics studies include deontological, teleological, and aretaic ethics. Deontological ethics is concerned with rule-based actions or obligations. For example, the statement, “You should not lie” is a rule-based obligation that one can use to determine whether a person is acting ethically in any given situation in which the person is deciding whether to tell the truth. Teleological ethics is concerned with the outcome of an act. A person could ask, “What are the consequences to multiple stakeholders if a person were to tell a lie?” This would be relevant if, say, the Nazis in World War II asked a person whether that person was hiding a Jewish family in their attic. The consequences for those who have a stake in the moral decision-making would determine the ethical good, in that case, whether it was right to lie. Aretaic ethics is concerned with the character of the person engaging in an act—that, perhaps, choosing to be honest or choosing to protect life is in keeping with specific virtues one wishes to cultivate (e.g., fortitude).

Ethics today is discussed either broadly in philosophy as a specialty area or in a discipline-specific or profession-specific manner. With respect to the relevance of ethics within particular disciplines or professions, in any specific group, there may be differing understandings of the best way to consider ethical perspectives of what is right or wrong, and people in a profession may be drawn to different paths of moral reasoning. Because of this, it has been helpful to organize expectations for behavior that apply to everyone in a discipline or profession. For example, ethics is a significant part of psychology and related health disciplines. It is primarily the organizing and codifying of ethical considerations for the shaping of a profession and for the good of the public. Ethics sets a standard for practice among those in the profession. There may be broad principles that a professional aspires to, but there are also specific standards that reflect the values of what it means to identify and practice as a professional. In other words, ethics establishes expectations for what is deemed appropriate for a profession or discipline. Ethics also protects the public and promotes well-being.

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