ethische

Ethische is the Dutch adjective meaning ethical or relating to ethics. It is used to describe actions, decisions, principles, or standards that are considered morally right or just according to a given normative framework. In Dutch, ethiacal expressions frequently appear in discussions of professional conduct, public policy, and everyday decision making, and they often occur in compounds such as ethische codes, ethische normen, or ethische kwesties.

Etymology and forms: Ethische derives from ethiek, the Dutch word for the field of ethics. The root adjective is ethisch, with ethische serving as the attributive form before definite or plural nouns (for example, de ethische kwestie, de ethische normen). The predicative form of the adjective is commonly ethisch as in Het is ethisch verantwoord.

Usage and distinctions: Ethische statements evaluate actions against moral standards. The term is closely related to moraal and ethiek; moraal denotes norms and values, while ethiek refers to the systematic study of those norms. In practice, ethisch or ethische is used to label standards, guidelines, or dilemmas considered from an ethical perspective, such as ethische codes in professions, ethische beoordeling of a decision, or ethische dilemma’s in research.

Fields and applications: Ethische considerations are central in bioethics, medical ethics, business ethics, and technology ethics. Institutions may appoint ethische commissies (ethics committees) to review proposals and ensure alignment with ethical guidelines.

See also: Ethiek; Moraal; Bioethiek; Professionele ethiek.