Key Terms

Ethics

Ethics constitutes a reflection on morality that seeks to analyze, criticize, and interpret rules, roles, and relations within society.

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Autocracy vs. democracy

In short, governing power in an autocracy is concentrated around one individual whereas democracies grant governing authority to the people or to governing officials through free elections.

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Cultural relativism

Cultural relativism is the view that ethical and social standards reflect the cultural context from which they are derived.

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Intergenerational justice

Intergenerational justice concerns the moral responsibilities shared among different generations. Theories of intergenerational justice analyze the scope of these obligations.

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Democratic backsliding

Democratic backsliding, a phenomenon sometimes characterized as an “erosion,” is the process of declining integrity for democratic values or institutions in a political system.

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Just war

Just war is warfare that is justified by a moral or legal tradition. Just war theory presumes that there are legitimate uses of war but also sets moral boundaries on the waging of war.

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Human rights

Human rights are moral and legal norms covering the freedoms and protections that all individuals are entitled to by virtue of their humanity.

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Humanitarian law

Humanitarian law is a set of principles and treaties outlining the conduct of nations engaged in warfare that aim to protect combatants and civilians affected by conflicts.

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