What are three general areas of ethics?
a. Metaethics, Descriptive, and Normative
b. Descriptive, Normative, and Managerial
c. Metaethics, Normative, and Situational
d. Managerial, Situational, and Normative
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is a. Metaethics, Descriptive, and Normative.
Ethics is the branch of philosophy that deals with moral principles, and it is generally divided into three main areas: metaethics, descriptive ethics, and normative ethics.
- Metaethics: This area explores the nature of moral judgments and the meaning of ethical terms. It addresses questions like “What does it mean to say something is morally right or wrong?” and “Are moral values objective or subjective?” Metaethics is more concerned with the theoretical aspects of ethics and how individuals come to understand moral truths. It also delves into the nature of moral language and the foundation of moral reasoning.
- Descriptive Ethics: This is the study of people’s actual beliefs and practices regarding ethics. It involves observing and describing how people behave and what they believe to be morally right or wrong, without making value judgments about those beliefs. Descriptive ethics is often associated with anthropology, sociology, and psychology, as it aims to understand moral norms and practices as they occur in various societies and cultures.
- Normative Ethics: This area seeks to establish standards or principles for determining what is morally right or wrong. It is concerned with the development of ethical theories that guide moral decision-making and behavior. Normative ethics asks questions like “What should one do in a given situation?” and “What are the moral duties or obligations of individuals?” Some well-known theories in normative ethics include utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics.
Together, these three branches form the foundation of ethical theory, addressing different dimensions of moral understanding and reasoning.