Which area focuses on the search for, and justification of, moral standards?

• A. Normative ethics
• B. Meta-ethics
• C. Applied ethics
• D. Descriptive ethics

Answer: (A)

Normative ethics focuses on what we ought to do and why certain moral standards should govern behavior. It develops theories and criteria for evaluating actions, offering justifications for why those standards are considered valid—whether grounded in duties, consequences, or virtues. This sets it apart from other branches: meta-ethics analyzes the nature and meaning of moral claims; descriptive ethics studies how people actually think and act; and applied ethics uses normative theories to address real-world issues. So, for understanding moral standards and the rational grounds for them, normative ethics is the best fit.