We tell you what the types of ethics are and what they are for. In addition, historical and current classifications.
What are the types of ethics?
Depending on your field of study, We can classify ethics into metaethics, normative, descriptive and applied ethics.. According to the way in which it responds from theory to moral action (that is, to the practice of human action), we can classify ethics into Aristotelian, utilitarian, Kantian ethics, among others.
Ethics is a branch of philosophy that studies human behavior and moral actions, and has different ways of being classified.
Another way to classify ethics is according to the time in which each theory is developed, as well as the current that proposes it. In this sense, ethics can be divided by how it was thought in ancient Greece, during the Middle Ages (according to Christianity) and in modernity (with the emergence of Kant's ethics).
Many times, an ethic can appear in different classifications. For example, Kantian ethics according to moral action is an ethics that seeks to fulfill duty, but it is also an ethics of modernity.
Types of ethics according to your field of study
One way to classify ethics is according to its field of study: metaethics works with the language that expresses ethical ideas; normative ethics, with the rules that regulate behavior; descriptive ethics, with effective behavior; and applied ethics, with the way ethics occurs in specific fields.
| Types of ethics | Approach | Purpose | Examples of ethics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metaethics | Analyzes the nature and meaning of ethical concepts. | Understand the foundation and nature of morality. | Moral realism, moral antirealism, moral subjectivism. |
| Normative ethics | Establishes moral principles and rules that guide ethical conduct. | Offer help in making ethical decisions. | Deontology, consequentialism, virtue ethics. |
| Descriptive ethics | Practical study of people's moral beliefs, practices and behaviors. | Describe the practical characteristics of morality. | Kantian ethics, utilitarianism, ethics of care. |
| Applied ethics | Apply ethical principles and ethical theories to real ethical situations and problems. | Resolve ethical dilemmas and apply ethics to specific cases in everyday life. | Medical ethics, business ethics, environmental ethics. |
Metaethics
The metaethics studies and analyzes the language that philosophers use when talking about morality. For example, one of the metaethical problems is whether the idea of good refers to good actions or whether it speaks of an abstraction.
Metaethics is also thought of as a theoretical language that works with ethical problems in relation to language and knowledge. It also works with the possibilities of ethical language in relation to science: its sufficiency and formality and how rigorous the language can be to describe behavior, among other characteristics.
Normative ethics
normative ethics focuses on the formulation of moral principles and norms that guide human behavior. It asks what is right and what is wrong, and seeks to establish criteria for making ethical decisions. Some examples of normative ethical theories are utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics.
Descriptive ethics
Descriptive ethics focuses on the study of how people perceive and practice ethics in everyday life. It does not indicate what should be morally correct, but rather is dedicated to investigating and describing how people make ethical decisions and develop value systems.
Applied ethics
Applied ethics focuses on the practice of ethical and moral principles in concrete situations and specific contexts. Its main objective is to provide moral guidance in scenes of everyday life and in professional fields in which ethical dilemmas arise. The most common types of applied ethics are:
- Professional ethics. It refers to the moral principles and standards that govern the conduct of individuals in their work environment.
It involves the responsibility and honesty of making ethical decisions, respecting confidentiality, and acting with integrity in work interactions. - Medical ethics. It focuses on ethical dilemmas that arise in medical care and practice.
This includes issues such as informed consent, end-of-life, euthanasia, human experimentation, and the distribution of scarce medical resources. - Business ethics. Examines ethical dilemmas in companies and businesses.
This covers issues such as corporate social responsibility, ethical business decision-making, conflict of interest management and ethics in advertising. - Legal ethics. It deals with ethical issues related to the practice of law.
It includes ethical dilemmas facing lawyers, judges, and other legal professionals, as well as questions about justice, human rights, and law enforcement. - Environmental ethics. Examines ethical issues related to environmental conservation and sustainability.
This involves issues such as responsibility towards future generations, the exploitation of natural resources and the protection of biodiversity. - Ethics of technology. It focuses on the ethical dilemmas that arise in the development and use of technology.
It covers issues such as artificial intelligence, online privacy, biotechnology and robotics. - Research ethics. Examines ethical issues in scientific and academic research.
It includes issues such as the conduct of researchers, research integrity, and the treatment of study subjects. - Ethics in politics and government. It refers to ethical dilemmas related to political decision-making, governance, and the ethical conduct of political leaders.
This includes issues such as corruption, social justice and human rights. - Ethics in education. Addresses ethical aspects of teaching and learning.
Including issues of plagiarism, academic honesty and the relationship between educators and students.
Types of ethics according to moral action
One way to classify ethics is through moral action, which is the practice of human action. Different ethics think about moral action from different perspectives.
| Ethical theories | Aim | Important concepts |
|---|---|---|
| Aristotelian ethics | Ethics as the search for a good life | Happiness as an ideal |
| Christian ethics | ||
| Personalism | ||
| Epicurean ethics | Happiness as pleasure | |
| Utilitarian ethics | ||
| Stoic ethics | Ethics as fulfillment of duty | Duty, justice |
| Kantian ethics | ||
| Dialogical ethics | Ethics as a peaceful solution to conflicts | Reciprocal recognition, non-violence, justice |
| Communitarian ethics | Ethics as a tradition of the community itself | Virtue, community, tradition |
- Aristotelian ethics. Moral action in Aristotelian ethics is based on the concept of “virtue” and the pursuit of happiness through a virtuous life. Aristotle maintains that moral action involves finding a balance between two extremes, known as vices, and this is achieved through the practice of virtues such as courage, temperance and justice.
- Christian ethics. Moral action in Christian ethics is based on the principles and teachings of the Christian faith, in particular, the commandments and teachings of Jesus Christ.
- Personalism. Moral action in personalism is defined as any action that respects and promotes the dignity and intrinsic worth of each individual. This involves treating others with respect, fairness and empathy, recognizing their individual rights and needs.
- Epicurean ethics. Moral action in Epicurean ethics is based on the pursuit of happiness and the absence of pain. Epicurus argued that happiness is achieved through moderate pleasure and the avoidance of pain and to that end, he advocated friendship, wisdom and moderation in desires.
- Utilitarian ethics. Moral action in utilitarian ethics is based on the principle of seeking happiness and well-being for as many people as possible. This ethical theory, developed primarily by philosophers such as Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, holds that an action is morally right if it produces happiness in society and minimizes suffering.
- Stoic ethics. Moral action in Stoic ethics is based on the idea that virtue is the highest good. The Stoics emphasized the importance of controlling one's actions and decisions, and calmly accepting what cannot be controlled.
- Kantian ethics. According to Kant, an action is morally correct if it conforms to the categorical imperative, which proposes: “Act only according to a maxim such that you can at the same time will that it become a universal law.”
- Dialogical ethics. Moral action in dialogic ethics is based on the concepts of reciprocal recognition (from one person to another), justice and the pursuit of non-violence. This ethic was developed by thinkers such as Karl-Otto Apel, Jürgen Habermas and John Rawls.
- Communitarian ethics. Moral action in communitarian ethics is based on the context of community and social relations. Communitarianism emphasizes the importance of communities and the influence of culture and tradition in shaping morality.
Types of ethics according to the time
One way to classify ethics and distinguish its types is according to the time in which each system was proposed. This classification distinguishes an ethics of ancient Greece, an ethics of the Middle Ages and an ethics of modernity. Each of them responds to a particular worldview and their respective concerns of the moment.
Ethics of ancient Greece
In ancient Greece, Philosophers understood ethics as a search for happiness and the good life. The objective of ethics was to discover the best means to achieve a full life through the correct use of reason and virtues.
According to Aristotle, prudence is distinguished from technical rationality because it aims to make decisions that guarantee happiness. Reason, on the other hand, proposes decisions that respond to neutral and impartial criteria.
Not all Greek philosophers agreed on what happiness was, and that is why each of them proposed different ethical systems:
- The hedonistic ethic. He thought of happiness as pleasure, absence of pain and satisfaction of the senses. The ethics of Epicurus is an example of this thinking.
- eudaimonistic ethics. He thought of happiness not only as pleasure, but as what is achieved when the activity of each being is carried out. Aristotle's ethics is an example of this thinking.
- The ethics of duty. He thought that ethics should be the search for balance between conduct and reason, since reason drives away the temptations of desire. Stoic ethics is an example of this thinking.
Ethics of the Middle Ages
After the expansion of Christianity, during the Middle Ages what is known as “the ethics of love” emerged. She thought of happiness as an activity in which love was superior to knowledge. For Christians, love was the path that led to God, who was the inexhaustible source of happiness.
- Augustinian ethics. Saint Augustine, in his book The city of God develops an ethic based on faith in God and the constant search for his love as a source of full happiness and a good life.
- Tomasian ethics. Saint Thomas Aquinas conceived of ethics as the activity by which reason introduced order to the acts of the will. This order responded to the moral law, and had a basis in Aristotelian thought, as well as in Augustinian thought.
Modern ethics
The Modern Age was characterized by the emergence of different ethics, as well as the recovery of some ancient values.
- Utilitarian ethics. This ethic consisted of the search for happiness related to pleasure. The utilitarians recovered hedonistic ethics: they believed that decisions should be made based on which option was most useful according to the desired objectives. Ethical decisions had to be based on the search for pleasure and good.
- Kantian ethics. This ethics consisted of an ethic of duty, like the Stoic. Although he maintains that happiness is the goal of people, it is a natural goal, not a human decision. This search for happiness is mediated by the exercise of reason, which forces us to respect others and not put our desires above theirs. Thus, the ethics of duty maintains that this is an end in itself.
References
- ARANGUREN, JLL, Ethics, in Complete Works, vol. II, Trotta, Madrid, 1994.
- CORTINA, A., Minimum ethics. Introduction to practical philosophy, Tecnos, Madrid, 1986.
- GRACIA, D., Fundamentals of Bioethics, Eudema, Madrid, 1988.
- HABERMAS, J., Moral conscience and communicative action, Peninsula, Barcelona, 1985.
- HIERRO, J., Problems of the analysis of moral language, Tecnos, Madrid, 1970.
- HORTAL, A., Ethics, vol.l. The authors and their circumstances, Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, Madrid, 1994.
- SAVATER, F., Ethics as self-love, Mondadori, Madrid, 1988.
