Philosophy & ThoughtGreek → English
Ethics
/ˈɛθɪks/
The branch of philosophy dealing with right and wrong conduct.
The Greek roots
ἦθος
êthos
character, custom
Literally: “matters of character”
Follow a root:ἦθος2 words
The story of the word
Êthos was one's habitual character. Aristotle's inquiry into how to live well gave us the study of ethics.
The same roots elsewhere
Other languages reached for exactly the same Greek pieces.
In a sentence
The council debated the ethics of the new policy.