1.6 Chapter Glossary

Applied Ethics – The field of ethics which attempts to apply critical ethical reflection to specific issues or professions.

Descriptive Ethics – The endeavor to describe without judgment the moral practices and institutions of a group.

Meta-ethics – The study of morality itself, rather than what is considered moral. It’s a branch of analytic philosophy that examines the nature of moral values, words, and properties, as well as the foundations and scope of morality.

Normative Ethics – Issues and questions that demand a moral judgment.

Philosophical Ethics – The broad field of ethical inquiry requiring the application of critical reasoning to moral questions.

Trolley Problem – A classic ethical thought experiment.