Ethics is the branch of philosophy that seeks to understand the nature, purposes, justifi cation, and founding principles of moral rules and the systems they comprise.

■ Ethics involves making sound judgments, good decisions, and right choices.

■ Microethics involves an individual’s view of what is right and wrong based on his or her life experiences.

■ Macroethics involves a more generalized view of right and wrong.

■ Bioethics addresses such diffi cult issues as the nature of life, the nature of death, what sort of life is worth living, what constitutes murder, how we should treat people who are especially vulnerable, and the responsibilities we have to other human beings.