ethical reasoning
Principled decision analysis
Ethical reasoning is the process of thinking through moral questions—weighing principles, consequences, and competing values to reach judgments about right and wrong.
It involves examining situations from multiple perspectives and applying frameworks like fairness, harm reduction, or duty: The case required careful ethical reasoning about patient autonomy.
Distinguished from intuition or gut reactions, ethical reasoning makes its logic explicit and open to scrutiny.
- moral dilemmasConflicts between competing values
- right and wrongEthical distinction
- golden ruleFundamental operating principle
- deontologyMorality based on obligations
- consequentialismEthics judging by results
utilitarianism · ends justify means · gray area · lesser evil · moral judgment · moral compass · do the right thing · trolley problem · slippery slope · ethical ambiguity · moral philosophy · practical wisdom · relativism · bioethics · playing God · social justice · moral · critical thinking
- moralitymoral, moral values, immoral, moral principles, moral code
- moralsmorality, moral code, moral codes, moral compass, conscience
- thinking skillslogic, logical thinking, logical reasoning, reasoning, critical thinking
- ethicsmorality, deontology, dignity, sanctity of life, utilitarianism
- moral educationmoral education, moral instruction, character education, moral development, moral lessons
- moral psychologymoral reasoning, moral judgment, moral development, moral intuition, conscience
ethical reasoninggut reaction
Immediate unthinking feeling
instinct · impulse · snap judgment · knee-jerk reaction · thoughtlessness
ethical reasoningMachiavellianism
Cunning, amoral statecraft
amorality · self-interest · expedience · immorality · expediency
ethical reasoningemotional reaction
Psychological response to stimulus
visceral response · passion · rage · panic · moral panic