What is applied ethics?

Applied ethics entails the application of ethical principles or ethical norm and value theories on practical problems and conflict situations in different areas of life. Applied ethics is thus as old as ethics itself. In practice applied ethics has only been established as a separate academic discipline over the last 30 years. According to the specific field of application, numerous independent sub-disciplines have emerged. These include bioethics, medical ethics, environmental ethics, animal science ethics, engineering ethics, business ethics, political ethics, legal ethics, professional ethics for doctors, nurses, technicians, assistants, journalists, attorneys etc.
 
Of all the sub-disciplines found in the field of philosophy, applied ethics is expanding the fastest, owing to its modern stance and societal relevance. The following diagram gives an overview of the different areas found in applied ethics: graph