Glossary: A — Z
A to Z terms are shown in an easy and modern style.
Updated: 16 Dec 2025
A
Accountability
The obligation to explain, justify, and take responsibility for decisions, actions, and their consequences.
A
Agency Problem
A conflict arising when agents prioritize their own interests over those of principals or stakeholders.
A
AI Ethics
The study of moral principles guiding the design, use, and governance of artificial intelligence to ensure fairness, accountability, and societal well-being, promoting transparency and minimizing harm.
A
Algorithmic Bias
Systematic and unfair outcomes produced by algorithms due to biased data, assumptions, or design choices that reflect human prejudices.
A
Altruism
Selfless concern for the welfare of others, involving actions taken primarily for others' benefit without expectation of personal gain.
A
Altruistic Cheating
Unethical behavior committed to help others, often justified as serving a greater good; cheating for someone else's benefit.
A
Amoral Management
A managerial approach where ethical considerations are ignored or viewed as irrelevant to business decisions.
A
Applied Ethics
The application of ethical theories and principles to real-world situations and practical problems in areas like business, medicine, and technology.
A
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Computer systems capable of performing tasks that normally require human intelligence, including machine learning and generative AI.
A
Asymmetric Information
A condition where one party has more or better information than another, creating ethical risks and potential for exploitation.
A
Autonomy
The capacity and right of individuals to make informed, voluntary decisions free from coercion; political and personal independence.
B
Behavioral Ethics
The study of how people actually behave in ethical situations, influenced by psychological and social factors; examines why people make the choices they do.
B
Beneficence
The ethical obligation to act for the benefit of others; the quality of being kind, helpful, or generous.
B
Blame Shifting
Deflecting responsibility for unethical actions onto others to avoid accountability.
B
Bounded Ethicality
Predictable limitations that cause individuals to behave unethically without awareness; ethical decision-making is constrained by cognitive biases and situational pressures.
B
Bribery
Offering or receiving something of value to improperly influence decisions or gain unfair advantage.
C
Care Ethics
An ethical approach emphasizing relationships, empathy, compassion, and responsibility in moral decision-making.
C
Character Ethics
Ethical evaluation based on moral character traits and virtues rather than rules or consequences.
C
Cognitive Bias
Systematic patterns of deviation from rational judgment; errors in thinking that affect decision-making in virtually every situation.
C
Cognitive Dissonance
Psychological discomfort caused by inconsistency between beliefs and actions; mental stress from holding contradictory ideas simultaneously.
C
Coercion
Forcing action through pressure, threats, or manipulation, violating autonomy.
C
Compliance
Adherence to laws, regulations, and internal policies governing conduct.
C
Complicity
Indirect involvement in unethical conduct by enabling, supporting, or failing to prevent it.
C
Confirmation Bias
The tendency to favor, seek out, and interpret information that confirms existing beliefs while ignoring contradictory evidence.
C
Conflict of Interest
A situation where personal interests interfere with professional duties; when one's interest conflicts with another's to whom they owe loyalty.
C
Conformity Bias
The tendency to follow group norms and take behavioral cues from others, even when they conflict with ethical standards or personal judgment.
C
Consequentialism
An ethical theory judging actions based on their outcomes or consequences; actions producing good results are morally right.
C
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Business responsibility toward social, environmental, and economic stakeholders; going beyond minimum requirements to benefit society.
C
Corruption
Abuse of entrusted power for private gain; dishonest conduct by people in positions of power.
D
Deontology
An ethical theory emphasizing duties, rules, and moral obligations; uses principles to determine right action regardless of outcomes.
D
Diffusion of Responsibility
Reduced sense of accountability when responsibility is shared; people fail to act because they assume others will.
D
Due Care
The obligation to take reasonable steps to avoid harm and fulfill responsibilities properly.
D
Due Diligence
Systematic investigation to identify ethical, legal, and reputational risks before taking action.
E
Ethical Climate
Shared perceptions about what constitutes ethical behavior within an organization.
E
Ethical Culture
Formal and informal systems, norms, and practices shaping ethical conduct in organizations.
E
Ethical Dilemma
A situation involving competing moral values with no clear right answer; choosing between conflicting ethical principles.
E
Ethical Egoism
The belief that actions are ethical if they promote self-interest; morality based on self-benefit.
E
Ethical Fading
When ethical aspects of decisions are overlooked as people focus on profit, competition, or other pressures.
E
Ethical Leadership
Leadership that models and promotes ethical conduct through behavior and organizational systems.
E
Ethical Literacy
The ability to recognize and reason through ethical issues effectively.
E
Ethical Risk
Potential harm arising from unethical behavior or decisions.
E
Ethics
The systematic study of moral principles governing behavior and the academic examination of moral obligations.
F
Fairness Bias
The tendency to believe oneself to be more ethical or fair than others actually perceive.
F
Fidelity
Faithfulness to obligations, duties, or commitments; loyalty and trustworthiness in relationships and agreements.
F
Fiduciary Duty
A legal and ethical obligation to act in the best interest of another party rather than one's own self-interest.
F
Fraud
Intentional deception for personal or organizational gain; dishonest misrepresentation.
F
Framing
The way information is presented, influencing decisions and judgments.
F
Fundamental Attribution Error
Overemphasizing personal traits while underestimating situational factors when judging others' behavior.
G
Good Faith
Honest intention without intent to deceive; sincerity in dealings and transactions.
G
Governance
Structures and processes for directing, controlling, and holding organizations accountable.
G
Groupthink
A desire for consensus that suppresses critical thinking and ethical judgment.
G
Growth Mindset
Belief that abilities, intelligence, and ethical capacity can be developed through effort, learning, and persistence.
H
Halo Effect
Allowing positive impressions of one trait to influence unrelated judgments; assuming all qualities are positive based on one favorable characteristic.
H
Harm Principle
Actions are permissible unless they cause harm to others; people should be free to act as long as they do not harm others.
H
Hedonism
The view that pleasure or happiness is the highest good; a form of consequentialism approving actions that produce pleasure and avoid pain.
H
Human Dignity
The inherent worth and value of every individual deserving respect.
H
Human Rights
Fundamental rights and freedoms owed to all human beings regardless of status or characteristics.
I
Impartiality
Treating all parties fairly without bias, favoritism, or prejudice in judgment and decision-making.
I
Implicit Bias
Unconscious attitudes and stereotypes that influence judgment and behavior.
I
In-group/Out-group
Favoring members of one's own group over others; judging similar people more favorably than different people.
I
Incrementalism
Gradual ethical decline through small compromises; the slippery slope from minor violations to major wrongs.
I
Informed Consent
Voluntary agreement based on adequate information and understanding; permission given with full knowledge.
I
Institutional Corruption
Systemic practices that undermine an institution's purpose and mission.
I
Integrity
Consistency between values, words, and actions; acting with honesty, fairness, and moral principle.
J
Just Culture
A culture balancing accountability and learning from mistakes without excessive punishment.
J
Justice
Fairness in distribution, processes, and outcomes; giving people what they deserve and treating them equitably.
K
Kantian Ethics
Ethics based on universal duties and respect for persons as ends in themselves; associated with deontology and moral absolutism.
L
Legitimacy
Perceived appropriateness and rightfulness of actions, authority, or institutions.
L
Loss Aversion
Preference for avoiding losses over acquiring equivalent gains; disliking losses more than enjoying gains.
L
Loyalty
Faithful commitment to people, organizations, or principles that may create ethical tension with other values.
M
Means-Ends Reasoning
Justifying unethical means by appealing to desirable ends; “the ends justify the means” thinking.
M
Mercy
Compassion that tempers strict justice; showing leniency and kindness even when punishment is justified.
M
Moral Absolutism
Belief that some actions are inherently right or wrong regardless of context, culture, or consequences.
M
Moral Accountability
Responsibility for moral choices and their consequences; being answerable for ethical decisions.
M
Moral Agent
An entity capable of moral judgment and ethical action; someone who can be held accountable.
M
Moral Awareness
Recognition of ethical dimensions in situations; identifying when a situation has moral implications.
M
Moral Cognition
Mental processes underlying moral judgment; how people make moral decisions.
M
Moral Courage
Willingness to act ethically despite personal risk, social pressure, or negative consequences.
M
Moral Disengagement
Psychological processes that allow unethical behavior by justifying norm violations.
M
Moral Distress
Discomfort from being unable to act ethically due to institutional or situational constraints.
M
Moral Emotions
Emotions like shame, guilt, empathy, and compassion that influence moral behavior.
M
Moral Equilibrium
Balancing moral behavior over time by comparing self-image with conduct.
M
Moral Hazard
Risk-taking when consequences are borne by others rather than decision-makers.
M
Moral Imagination
Ability to envision ethical alternatives and creatively imagine options.
M
Moral Injury
Psychological harm resulting from actions that violate deeply held moral beliefs.
M
Moral Licensing
Using past good deeds to justify later unethical behavior.
M
Moral Luck
Judging morality based on outcomes beyond one’s control.
M
Moral Muteness
Avoidance of moral language and silence in the face of unethical behavior.
M
Moral Myopia
Short-sightedness regarding ethical implications and moral challenges.
M
Moral Philosophy
The study of moral theories, principles, and questions about right and wrong.
M
Moral Pluralism
Acceptance of multiple, potentially conflicting moral values as equally valid.
M
Moral Principles
Standards and rules guiding decisions and behavior for individual and collective good.
M
Moral Psychology
Study of moral behavior, development, reasoning, and the moral sense.
M
Moral Reasoning
Deliberation about right and wrong; reasoning through moral questions.
M
Moral Relativism
Belief that morality depends on cultural or social context with no universal standards.
M
Moral Scepticism
Doubting or denying moral knowledge, truth, or justified moral belief.
M
Morals
Society’s accepted norms and principles of right conduct enabling cooperation.
M
Motivated Blindness
Failure to notice unethical behavior due to self-interest.
N
Negligence
Failure to exercise reasonable care, resulting in harm or increased risk.
N
Neuroethics
Ethical issues arising from neuroscience and the use of brain science to understand moral decision-making.
N
Normative Ethics
The study of how people ought to behave; examines what actions are morally right or wrong.
O
Obedience to Authority
Following orders even when ethically questionable due to pressure from authority figures.
O
Ombudsman
An independent official who addresses ethical grievances and conflicts within organizations.
O
Optimism Bias
Belief that negative outcomes are less likely for oneself than for others.
O
Organizational Justice
Perceived fairness in organizational decisions, processes, and interpersonal treatment.
O
Overconfidence Bias
Excessive confidence in one’s judgments and moral reasoning beyond what evidence supports.
P
Paternalism
Interfering with individual autonomy for someone’s perceived benefit.
P
Procedural Justice
Fairness of the processes used to make decisions and determine outcomes.
P
Professional Ethics
Ethical standards and codes governing specific professions.
P
Prosocial Behavior
Voluntary actions intended to benefit others.
P
Public Interest
The collective welfare and well-being of society as a whole.
R
Rationalizations
Justifications that make unethical actions seem acceptable.
R
Reputational Risk
Potential damage to credibility or image from unethical conduct.
R
Responsibility Gap
Difficulty assigning accountability in complex or automated systems.
R
Restorative Justice
Repairing harm through accountability, dialogue, and reconciliation.
R
Role Morality
Applying different moral standards depending on professional roles.
S
Self-Serving Bias
Interpreting situations in ways that favor one’s own interests.
S
Social Contract Theory
Moral obligations arising from implicit agreements within society.
S
Stakeholder Theory
Organizations owe ethical duties to all stakeholders, not just shareholders.
S
Structural Injustice
Systemic inequalities embedded in institutions and social structures.
S
Subject of Moral Worth
Any entity deserving moral consideration in ethical decisions.
S
Substantive Justice
Fairness of outcomes and results of decisions and policies.
S
Sustainability
Meeting present needs without compromising future generations.
T
Tangible & Abstract
Concrete versus indirect ethical impacts; how people focus too much on immediate factors while neglecting abstract consequences removed in time and place.
T
Technological Somnambulism
Uncritical, sleepwalking-like acceptance of technological change without considering long-term ethical and societal impacts.
T
Tragedy of the Commons
Overuse and damage of shared resources due to self-interest; individuals exploiting common resources harm collective welfare.
T
Transparency
Openness and clarity in actions, decisions, and information sharing; making processes and reasoning visible.
T
Trust
Expectation of ethical and reliable behavior; confidence in others' integrity and dependability.
U
Utilitarianism
Maximizing overall happiness or welfare; ethical theory asserting that right actions produce the greatest good for the greatest number.
V
Values
Core beliefs guiding behavior; society's shared beliefs about what is good, bad, and how people should act.
V
Veil of Ignorance
Decision-making without knowing one's social position; a thought experiment for envisioning a fair society by imagining ignorance of personal circumstances.
V
Virtue Ethics
Ethics centered on character and virtues; philosophical approach urging cultivation of virtuous habits like courage, honesty, and compassion.
W
Whistleblowing
Reporting unethical or illegal practices within an organization to authorities or the public.
W
White-Collar Crime
Non-violent crimes committed for financial gain, typically by business professionals or government officials.
