Normative Ethics

Definition

Normative ethics is a branch of ethics that focuses on the moral standards, principles, and values that guide and shape human conduct. It examines what actions are considered right or wrong, good or bad, and what individuals or societies ought to do in various situations.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Normative ethics is concerned with the question of how people ought to act, rather than how they actually do act.
2. It provides a basis for moral judgments and decision-making by establishing guidelines, principles, and rules that define right and wrong behavior.
3. Normative ethics often draws on various ethical frameworks, such as deontology, consequentialism, and virtue ethics, to determine the moral status of actions.
4. Committing to an ethical view, as discussed in the 11.2 topic, involves adopting a normative ethical framework to guide one's decision-making and actions.
5. Normative ethics plays a crucial role in business ethics, as it helps organizations and individuals navigate complex moral dilemmas and make decisions that align with their values and principles.

Review Questions

• Explain how normative ethics differs from descriptive ethics and meta-ethics.
  • Normative ethics is concerned with prescribing how people ought to act, while descriptive ethics focuses on describing the moral beliefs and practices of individuals or societies. Meta-ethics, on the other hand, examines the underlying nature, meaning, and justification of moral values and principles, rather than their practical application. Normative ethics provides a framework for moral decision-making and judgment, while descriptive ethics and meta-ethics are more concerned with understanding and analyzing moral beliefs and concepts.
• Discuss the role of normative ethics in the context of committing to an ethical view, as mentioned in the 11.2 topic.
  • Committing to an ethical view, as discussed in the 11.2 topic, involves adopting a normative ethical framework to guide one's decision-making and actions. Normative ethics provides the necessary principles, rules, and guidelines to determine what is right or wrong, good or bad, and what individuals or organizations ought to do in various situations. By committing to a normative ethical view, such as deontology, consequentialism, or virtue ethics, individuals and organizations can establish a moral foundation for their decisions and behaviors, which is crucial in navigating complex ethical dilemmas in the business context.
• Analyze how normative ethics influences the field of business ethics and the decision-making process within organizations.
  • Normative ethics plays a crucial role in business ethics by providing a framework for organizations to make decisions that align with their values and principles. By adopting a normative ethical view, businesses can establish guidelines and standards for acceptable conduct, which helps them navigate complex moral dilemmas and make decisions that balance the interests of stakeholders, such as employees, customers, shareholders, and the broader community. Normative ethics also informs the development of corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies, ethical codes of conduct, and other initiatives that aim to promote ethical behavior and decision-making within organizations. Ultimately, the application of normative ethics in the business context helps to ensure that organizations act in a socially responsible and ethically-conscious manner.

Related terms

Descriptive Ethics: Descriptive ethics is the study of people's beliefs about morality, rather than the justification of moral beliefs.

Meta-Ethics: Meta-ethics is the study of the origin, nature, and meaning of moral values and principles, rather than their practical application.

Ethical Theories: Ethical theories are frameworks that provide guidance on how to determine what is right or wrong, such as deontology, consequentialism, and virtue ethics.