Difference Between Axiology and Ethics

The main difference between axiology and ethics is that axiology is the study of values whereas ethics is the study of moral principles.

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with moral concepts like right and wrong, virtue and vice as well as good and evil. Axiology, in contrast, is a field that deals with concepts of values, aesthetics and ethics. Therefore, it is not inaccurate to say that ethics is a subset of axiology.

Key Terms Covered

1. What is Axiology 
     – Definition, Characteristics
2. What is Ethics
     – Definition, Characteristics, Types
3. What is the Difference Between Axiology and Ethics
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Axiology, Aesthetics, Ethics

What is Axiology?

Axiology is the study of value. It seeks to understand the nature of values and value judgments. In addition, it attempts to understand how values originate in a society. Axiology has two basic types of values: aesthetics and ethics. Therefore, it is the collective term for ethics and aesthetics. Ethics concerns the concepts of “good” and “right” in individual and social conduct while aesthetics concerns the concepts of “beauty” and “harmony.”

Axiology is also a philosophical field that is similar to metaethics and value theory. Furthermore, Paul Lapie (1902) and Eduard von Hartmann (1908) were the first to use this term.

What is Ethics?

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with moral principles. The term ethics itself originates from Greek word ethos which means habit, custom, character or disposition. Moreover, the study of ethics attempts to answer questions of morality by defining concepts such as right and wrong, virtue and vice, good and evil, and justice and crime.

Philosophers divide the field of ethics into three main divisions: metaethics, normative ethics and applied ethics.

Metaethics

Metaethics is the study of the nature of ethics. It analyzes the nature of ethics and morality and concerns concepts like what is goodness or morality.

Normative Ethics

Normative ethics is the study of ethical action. Moreover, it attempts to determine which actions are right and wrong, or which character traits are good and bad.

Applied Ethics

Applied ethics, on the other hand, is the practical application of these moral considerations, which deals with real-life scenarios.

In addition, fields like descriptive ethics, value theory and moral psychology are also related to the field of ethics.

Difference Between Axiology and Ethics

Definition

Axiology is the philosophical study of value while ethics is the philosophical study of morality and moral principles.

Basics

Axiology concerns values, ethics and aesthetics whereas ethics concerns morality or the right conduct.

Aesthetics

Moreover, aesthetics, i.e., beauty and harmony, is a main concern of axiology, but it is not a major concern in ethics.

Sub-fields

In addition, ethics is a sub-field of axiology and contains three main branches as metaethics, normative ethics and applied ethics.

Conclusion

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with moral concepts like right and wrong, virtue and vice as well as good and evil. Axiology, on the other hand, is a field that deals with concepts of value, aesthetics and ethics. Basically, axiology is the philosophical study of value while ethics is the philosophical study of morality and moral principles. Thus, this is the basic difference between axiology and ethics.

Reference:

1.“Axiology.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Aug. 2019, Available here.
2. “What Is Axiology?” GotQuestions.org, 30 Sept. 2015, Available here.
3. “Ethics.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Sept. 2019, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Ethics” By Nick Youngson (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Blue Diamond Gallery

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