DESCRIPTIVE ETHICS Meaning and
Definition
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Descriptive ethics is a branch of philosophy that seeks to describe and analyze moral beliefs, practices, and judgments existing within a particular society or culture, rather than providing normative judgments or prescribing how people ought to behave. It is concerned with providing an objective and scientific analysis of ethical behavior, without asserting any moral position or value judgment.
In essence, descriptive ethics is concerned with answering questions like "What do people believe is right or wrong?", "How do people make moral decisions?", and "What are the cultural and societal influences that shape moral beliefs?". It involves the study of various factors that influence moral behavior, such as cultural norms, religious beliefs, personal values, social institutions, and individual psychological factors.
Descriptive ethics focuses on observing and understanding the diversity and complexity of moral beliefs and behaviors across different cultures, communities, and historical periods. It often employs methods from sociology, anthropology, and psychology to gather data and analyze moral practices and judgments.
This branch of ethics does not seek to establish whether certain moral beliefs or practices are objectively right or wrong, but rather aims to understand, explain, and compare the variety of moral beliefs and practices that exist in the world. By providing a descriptive analysis of ethics, it serves as a foundation for further discussions and debates within normative ethics, which is concerned with moral principles and theories that determine how people should act.
Etymology of DESCRIPTIVE ETHICS
The term "descriptive ethics" can be broken down into its two components: "descriptive" and "ethics".
The word "descriptive" comes from the Latin word "describere", which means to write down, describe, or represent. It is derived from the combination of the prefix "de-" meaning "down" or "thoroughly" and "scribere" meaning "to write". Therefore, "descriptive" refers to providing an objective and impartial representation or account of something.
The word "ethics" has its roots in the Greek word "ethikos", which pertains to moral character. "Ethikos" is derived from "ethos", meaning "character" or "custom". Ethics refers to the systematic study of determining right and wrong behavior, moral principles, and values governing human conduct.
