What is Ethics?

Ethics is not about the quantity of decisions but their quality. It's a branch of philosophy that asks, 'What should we do?' and studies values, principles, beliefs, and norms that shape our choices.

A scenario is presented where a friend, Lee, confides in you about their depression and isolation, asking you to keep it a secret. Another friend complains about Lee's unreliability. This creates a dilemma: keep Lee's secret and risk further isolation, or break their trust to elicit empathy from others.

Answering ethical questions requires clarity on values (what we hold to be good, like trustworthiness and compassion) and principles (rules that determine acceptable ways of achieving what we value, such as 'Never betray a confidence' or 'Always act in someone's best interests').

To resolve conflicts between values and principles, connecting to purpose helps. In Lee's case, considering the purpose of friendship and Lee's decision to confide in you alone might guide your choice towards upholding their trust.

Every choice changes the world. It's crucial to make choices that are good and right, choices that can be justified and that one can be proud of, demonstrating active ownership of decisions.