etiske

Etiske refers to the study and application of moral principles guiding human conduct. In philosophy, ethics is the discipline that examines what constitutes right and wrong, the justification of moral judgments, and the criteria by which ethical claims are evaluated. The term is used in many languages with slight variations, often treated as the study of moral values and duties rather than law or religion alone.

Ethical inquiry is typically divided into three interrelated areas: normative ethics, which asks how people ought to act and what makes actions right; metaethics, which investigates the nature and truth conditions of moral statements; and applied ethics, which considers specific domains such as medicine, business, technology, and the environment.

Prominent theoretical approaches include consequentialism (judging actions by outcomes), deontology (duty and rules), and virtue ethics (character and flourishing). These provide different foundations for moral decision-making and can be combined with cultural, social, or individual contexts.

Ethics interacts with law, policy, and professional codes. Critics question the universality of ethical theories, highlight cultural relativism, or point to moral pluralism and complexity in modern societies. The study of ethics remains influential in public life, education, and professional practice.