喜樂美語

核心畫面

One way to hold it: a question that isn't about whether something works or is legal, but about whether it is right. The word points at the whole area where people ask "是非" — and then, in its second use, at answers that come out on the right side.

有一個問題不是在問「這樣做有沒有效」或「這樣做犯不犯法」，而是在問「這樣做對不對」。ethical 就是指向這個「對…更多收起有一個問題不是在問「這樣做有沒有效」或「這樣做犯不犯法」，而是在問「這樣做對不對」。ethical 就是指向這個「對錯」的地帶——它可以只是把話題標出來（這是個倫理問題），也可以是給出評價（這個做法是對的）。同一個字兩種用法的差別，就在於它是在「指出那個領域」還是在「站在那個領域的好的一邊」。

From the word’s history

From Ancient Greek ἦθος (êthos), "character, the settled nature a person has" — not a rulebook but what someone habitually is. So the word starts from character rather than from law.

來自古希臘文 ἦθος（êthos）「性格、一個人習慣成自然的樣子」——注意它原本不是「規條」而是「品性」。這個出身解釋了為什麼 ethical 到現在仍然跟 legal 分得很開：legal 看的是白紙黑字的規定，ethical 問的是「一個什麼樣的人會這樣做」。

Wiktionary ("ethical" ← ethic + -al ← Late Latin ethicus ← Ancient Greek ἠθικός ← ἦθος "character, moral nature")

Two branches

是非的領域

這一家只負責「標出範圍」：把話題指向對錯這一層，還沒說誰對誰錯。

relating to ethics · adjective · C2

Relating to ideas about what is right and wrong, especially in a job or in public life.

倫理的

站在對的一邊

從「屬於是非這個領域」再往前一步：不只在這個領域裡，而且落在好的那一端。

morally correct · adjective · C2

Good or correct according to ideas about what is right and wrong, including how a person does a job or uses money.

合乎道德的

原始詞典資料5 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

ethicaladj/ˈɛθɪkəl/

  • 1

    human-sciencesphilosophysciencesOf or relating to the study of ethics.

    • The philosopher Kant is particularly known for his ethical writings.
  • 2

    Of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession.

    • All employees must familiarize themselves with our ethical guidelines.
    • An angry dispute between an animal welfare charity and its former employee will be the first case in Britain to decide whether ethical veganism is a “philosophical belief” that should be afforded the same protections as religion.
  • 3

    Morally approvable; good.

    • We are trying to decide what the most ethical course of action would be.
  • 4

    Only dispensed on the prescription of a physician.

    • In most jurisdictions, morphine is classified as an ethical drug.

ethicalnoun/ˈɛθɪkəl/

  • 1

    An ethical drug, one only dispensed on the prescription of a physician.

資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。