moral principles
Guidelines for behavior
Moral principles are beliefs about right and wrong that guide behavior and judgment.
They operate as internal standards—honesty, fairness, compassion—against which actions can be measured.
Someone who acts on principle follows these standards even when inconvenient.
Her moral principles wouldn't allow her to lie, even to protect herself.
The phrase often appears when someone refuses to compromise: It's a matter of principle.
- consequentialismEthics judging by results
- deontologyMorality based on obligations
- fairnessJust and equal treatment
- utilitarianismGreatest-happiness moral theory
- valuesPrinciples held worthwhile
autonomy · honesty · integrity · good faith · do the right thing · conscience · gut feeling · justice · compassion · norms · whistleblowing · duty · respect · altruism · accountability · beliefs · code of ethics · ethical standards
- moralityimmoral, ethics, morals, right and wrong, conscience
- valuesvalue, honesty, worth, fairness, morals
- wisdomwisdom, sagacity, sapience, discernment, insight
- bioethicsbioethics, medical ethics, genetic engineering, beneficence, non-maleficence
- ethicsdeontology, dignity, sanctity of life, utilitarianism, morals
- moral philosophyethics, morals, consequentialism, utilitarianism, deontology
moral principlesimmorality
Quality of being wicked
moral corruption · amorality · wickedness · depravity · vice
moral principlesexpediency
Prioritizing practicality over ethics
self-interest · selfishness · greed · opportunism · hedonism