Normative Ethics: The Foundation of Moral Conduct
What is normative ethics?
Normative ethics is the discipline of philosophical ethics that looks at the issues that arise regarding how one should behave morally. It is the study of ethical behavior. Normative ethics is to establish moral benchmarks that define what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior. In a way, it's an effort to find the perfect yardstick for the right conduct. The Golden Rule is a well-known illustration of a normative principle: We should treat others as we would like to be treated.
Final answer:
Normative ethics builds upon the foundation provided by metaethics and can be compared to the main structure or walls of the house in this metaphor. It establishes norms and standards for moral conduct through approaches including consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics. It sets up the structure of the house, ready for the roof of applied ethics which applies these norms to real-world issues.
In the metaphor of a house to explain the relationship between metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics, normative ethics represents the main structure of the house. If metaethics lays the foundation and asks foundational questions about morals and morality, normative ethics involves using that foundation to build a structure. It focuses on moral behavior, establishing norms and standards of moral conduct that provide a framework for understanding and guiding human actions.
Three main approaches exist in normative ethics: consequentialist, deontological, and virtue ethics, each distinctly different due to the criterion used for determining moral conduct. The consequentialist approach bases the morality of an action on its consequences, the deontological approach focuses on duties or rules, while virtue ethics emphasizes character traits.
Applied ethics represents the roof of the house, which involves practical application of these norms to controversial moral issues, giving final shape, meaning, and purpose to the house. Hence, normative ethics solidifies moral convictions stemming from metaethical presuppositions and prepares ground for applied ethics that engage in real-world moral dilemmas.