Learn more about Environmental science Basics On the other hand, if morality were nothing more than commonsense, then why are there so many ethical disputes and issues in our society?Īlternative test methods are methods that replace, reduce, or refine animal use in research and testing Ethical norms are so ubiquitous that one might be tempted to regard them as simple commonsense. Although most people acquire their sense of right and wrong during childhood, moral development occurs throughout life and human beings pass through different stages of growth as they mature. Most people learn ethical norms at home, at school, in church, or in other social settings. This is the most common way of defining 'ethics': norms for conduct that distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. When most people think of ethics (or morals), they think of rules for distinguishing between right and wrong, such as the Golden Rule ('Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'), a code of professional conduct like the Hippocratic Oath ('First of all, do no harm'), a religious creed like the Ten Commandments ('Thou Shalt not kill.'), or a wise aphorisms like the sayings of Confucius.

5 law of armed conflict principles