The 13 types of ethics (explained and with examples)

Ethics is the philosophical discipline that studies human behavior in terms of what is correct and what is not, good living, virtue, duty or happiness. It is a philosophical aspect with a strong moral component that varies according to the context and the situation, but with which it is intended to establish what is right and what is wrong.

As it is something that can be applied in endless situations, we can talk about different types of ethics, which we are going to comment on below, encompassing them in the three main ethical branches.

• Related article: "The 6 differences between ethics and morals"

The main types of ethics

ethics is the branch of philosophy that studies the behavior of human beings establishing what is meant by "good" and what by "bad". This discipline is responsible for studying morality, virtue, duty and even happiness, although each one of these aspects varies depending on the field where ethics is developed and the situation in which it is applied. find.

Ethics presents several typologies, each of which allows the human being to respond to the moral problems or duties that arise. Ethics helps us to guide our behavior when making a decision, deciding whether to act based on what is perceived as ethically correct.

As part of the philosophy that it is, ethics can be divided into three main branches: metaethics, normative ethics and applied ethics. Each of them contains within them several typologies and are based on the model proposed by the philosopher J. Fieser. Let's go in more depth.

• You may be interested: "Lawrence Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development"

1. metaethics

Metaethics focuses on the study of the origin and meaning of moral concepts. The limits of study of this great branch of ethics are not clearly defined, being rather an overview of the discipline. In other words, it can cover very varied and broad topics.

Within metaethics, two main lines of study are recognized:

• Metaphysical approaches: metaphysical approaches to metaethics analyze whether the notion of good is objective or subjective. In other words, it addresses whether the good exists independently of the human being or whether it is a cultural invention.
• Psychological Approaches: As its name suggests, psychological approaches to metaethics study psychological issues with respect to ethics.

• Related article: "The 8 branches of Philosophy (and its main thinkers)"

2. normative ethics

normative ethics studies moral values ​​in order to build minimum standards that serve as a guide for people and guide them towards the common good. These standards can be based on a single principle or based on a set of principles. A classic example of a single principle would be what is called the "golden rule" of treating others how we would like to be treated.

Normative ethics is based on a priori analyzes. It tries to determine a priori the properties of acts that should be considered right or wrong, what moral judgments mean, what is a virtuous life… One of the main problems of philosophical ethics is to establish the meaning of moral judgments and if they have value of truth.

Three main lines of research can be found within normative ethics:

• Theories of virtue: these theories propose to cultivate virtue as an end in itself, through good habits.
• Theories of duty: also called deontologies, the theories of duty are based on mandatory principles such as fulfilling responsibilities, regardless of what consequences they bring.
• Consequentialist theories: these theories study the relationship of actions with the consequences they imply, evaluating their cost-benefit.

As main ethics within normative ethics we can mention two: religious and secular.

2.1. religious ethics

religious ethics it is based on the spiritual and theological virtues proposed by each creed, so they vary from one religion to another. Normally, this type of ethics seeks to impose values.

As an example of religious ethics we can mention the Christian, dominated by the idea of ​​the ineffable paternity of God before which people are all equal and all sisters. One of its main ethical rules is the commandment of love for others, unconditional love for other people, and being able to forgive even those who have done the worst evil.

• You may be interested: "The origins of religion: how did it appear and why?"

2.2. secular ethics

Lay or secular ethics is based on values ​​independent of religious beliefs. Some virtues of this ethic would be rationality, logical thinking and empathy. Unlike religious ethics, secular ethics does not intend to impose values.

• Related article: "Differences between secularism and non-denominationalism: how to distinguish them?"

3. applied ethics

Applied ethics studies and applies ethical issues to specific contexts. In order for something to be considered the object of study of applied ethics, two conditions must be met: that a moral issue be addressed and that the issue being addressed arouses controversy.

Some of these controversial ethical issues may be abortion, euthanasia, surrogate motherhood, the manufacture and use of nuclear weapons...

As examples and subtypes of applied ethics we can highlight the following.

3.1. Professional ethics

professional ethics is the set of convictions, principles, criteria and moral norms that regulate the exercise of a profession and that are considered binding for those who exercise that job. This ethics studies and anticipates conflict scenarios between professional morality and the fulfillment of duties.

The idea that professions should be subject to ethical standards and act morally has been around for as long as professions have existed. We have an example of this in the Hippocratic Oath, which can well be considered as the first testimony of a true professional code of ethics.

• You may be interested: "Work ethics: what it is, functions and examples"

3.2. medical ethics

Since we just talked about the Hippocratic Oath, let's talk about medical ethics. There are several principles and values ​​that, since ancient times, have guided the professional practice of medicine. medical codes of ethics They consider it ethical that doctors always act for the maximum benefit of the patient, prohibiting any intervention that could cause more disadvantages than benefits.

3.3. Bioethics

During the 1960s, some theologians and moral philosophers began to question whether traditional medical ethics, considering that although the life of the patient was being watched over, this could be detrimental to their own well-being and freedom will. bioethics studies the moral relations between the biomedical sciences and living beings themselves, whether they are patients or experimental subjects, and claims the right to refuse to undergo therapeutic treatment on the basis of their own value system.

Topics that are the subject of debate from a bioethical perspective are abortion, euthanasia, genetic manipulation, animal experimentation...

• Related article: "What is Bioethics? Theoretical bases and objectives"

3.4. teaching ethics

teaching ethics establishes the principles and rights by which the teacher or professor must teach, as well as their relationship with students and with the rest of the educational community.

3.5. military ethics

Military ethics help create criteria for responsible military action and seeks to limit as much as possible the use of state violence against the innocent population. An area of ​​application of this ethic would be in matters such as, for example, civil demonstrations, terrorist attacks or invasions.

3.6. Business ethics

Business ethics reflects on controversial scenarios in business responsibility. Among the issues in which it is put into practice we would find unfair competition, advertising misleading, unsustainable environmental exploitation, violation of labor rights, discrimination labor…

3.7. environmental ethics

Environmental ethics studies the behavior of human beings with respect to the natural environment. It is an ethic that touches several areas, such as medicine, economics, legal law and human rights. Some very recurring themes in debates on environmental ethics would be the rights of animals, the protection of endangered species, environmental overexploitation, pollution, climate change climate…

• You may be interested: "The ecological theory of Arne Naess: we are the environment we inhabit"

3.8. sexual ethics

the sex ethic studies the relationship between ethical and moral aspects of human sexuality and its practice. Among the issues addressed from this ethical perspective we would have mutual consent, adultery, sexual exploitation, celibacy, the LGTBQ+ collective, paraphilias...

3.9. sport ethics

The ethics of sport is set of rules that govern sports activities with the aim of promoting the well-being of those who practice it and being healthy. This not only touches the physical aspect, but also psychological and social, ensuring the well-being and physical and mental satisfaction of athletes, coaches and even the audience that watches sports.

3.10. communication ethics

communication ethics he reflects on the social responsibility of the media, both printed paper and radio, television and the Internet. Some topics that he touches on are truthful information, freedom of expression, the fight against disinformation and hoaxes, informational balance, and the independence of particular interests.