Simply speaking, ethics are a set of moral principles that steer overall societal behaviour. They guide any specific society’s beliefs as to what could be considered right or wrong, or what is just or unjust. They, thus, affect the individual as well as societal behaviour. From a historical and global context, ethical values are neither constant over time, nor are they the same in all countries of the world during any specific period of time.
As the world changes due to evolving situations and scientific and technological advances, and cultural mores are transformed, ethics may undergo modifications as well.
By Asit K. Biswas, Proceedings of the 6th Interdisciplinary Webinar ‘Water Ethics: what does it mean in practice?’ 18th May 2021, Museum of History of Science, Geneva.