Ethics
How should we live?

Ethics — Common questions

Questions about Ethics

What are the main theories in ethics?

The three dominant frameworks are: Consequentialism (judge actions by outcomes), Deontology (judge actions by rules and duties), and Virtue ethics (judge actions by the character they express). The BBC Ethics Guide offers accessible introductions to each.

What is the trolley problem testing?

The trolley problem tests the difference between consequentialist and deontological intuitions. Most people will pull a lever to divert a trolley but not push someone off a bridge to stop it — even though both save five lives. Our trolley problem guide unpacks what this reveals about moral psychology.

Is ethics the same as morality?

In philosophy, ethics is the study of morality — it asks what morality is, what makes actions right or wrong, and how moral disagreements can be resolved. The two words are often used interchangeably, though some reserve "morality" for first-order judgements and "ethics" for the meta-level inquiry.