Ésetikai

Ésetikai is a term used in philosophical and cultural discourse to denote the study and practice of ethics as it applies to contemporary life and society. The word is not standardized across languages and is not widely adopted as a formal sub-discipline, but it appears in cross-disciplinary discussions about how ethical norms govern public life, technology, policy, and social practice.

Etymology: The form resembles words for ethics found in several European languages (etika, éthique). The prefix é- is stylistic, used by some authors to signal emphasis on everyday or embedded ethics rather than abstract theory.

Scope: Proponents describe ésetikai as an umbrella category for normative ethics and applied ethics that address concrete problems such as artificial intelligence and automation, climate policy, healthcare, education, and data privacy. It often emphasizes practical decision-making, governance, and moral reasoning in institutions.

Theoretical approaches: Ésetikai draws on multiple ethical theories, including deontological, consequentialist, and virtue-ethical frameworks, applied to real-world cases. It favors interdisciplinary methods, combining philosophy with social science, law, and public policy.

Criticism: Critics argue the term lacks clear boundaries and risks conflating established fields of ethics under a euphemistic label. Proponents respond that it highlights the relevance of ethical reflection in everyday institutions.

See also: ethics, applied ethics, artificial intelligence ethics, bioethics, environmental ethics.

Further reading: General philosophy dictionaries and handbooks on applied ethics and normative ethics.