But not always.

This can happen when we engage with others on difficult or controversial topics. It’s in such moments that we begin to reflect—to think about our moral beliefs and theirs.

Technological change—think of genetic engineering, the internet, or artificial intelligence—and shifts in our environment—like climate change—can also unsettle our moral bearings. We find ourselves unsure: What should I do?

And so, either alone or with others, we begin to reflect on what it might mean to act rightly and with reason. This kind of shared thinking and dialogue about moral ideas is what we call ethical reflection.

1.1 What is Ethics?

Reiter