n. philosophical study of the theoretical foundations of *ethics, as opposed to practical ethics.
n. 1. the branch of philosophy concerned with the content of moral judgments (normative ethics) and their nature and meaning (metaethics). See also consequentialism; Kantian ethics; narrative ethics. 2. the principles, values, virtues, or rules of conduct accepted within a particular profession or field of activity. See bioethics; medical ethics.... ethics
Health Encyclopedia