Three major areas of study within ethics recognized today are:
Meta-ethics, concerning the theoretical meaning and reference of moral propositions, and how their truth values ( if any) can be determined
Normative ethics, concerning the practical means of determining a moral course of action
Applied ethics, concerning what a person is obligated (or permitted) to do in a specific situation or a particular domain of action
The English word "ethics" is derived from the Ancient Greek word ēthikós (ἠθικός), meaning "relating to one's character ", which itself comes from the root word êthos (ἦθος) meaning " character, moral nature ". This was borrowed into Latin as ethica and then into French as éthique, from which it was borrowed into English.
Rushworth Kidder states that "standard definitions of ethics have typically included such phrases as 'the science of the ideal human character ' or 'the science of moral duty'". Richard William Paul and Linda Elder define ethics as "a set of concepts and principles that guide us in determining what behavior helps or harms sentient creatures". The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy states that the word "ethics" is "commonly used interchangeably with ' morality '... and sometimes it is used more narrowly to mean the moral principles of a particular tradition, group or individual." Paul and Elder state that most people confuse ethics with behaving in accordance with social conventions, religious beliefs and the law and don't treat ethics as a stand-alone concept.The word ethics in English refers to several things. It can refer to philosophical ethics or moral philosophy —a project that attempts to use reason to answer various kinds of ethical questions.
