Introduction to Ethics: What to Read First

Introduction to ethics is the study of how we should live, what we owe each other, and how to reason about right and wrong. You don't need a degree. You need one good question and one place to think it through. Below: what ethics is, what it isn't, why one entry point beats trying to cover the whole field, and where to find free learning paths and Socratic dialogue that assume you've read nothing yet.

What is ethics?

Ethics (moral philosophy) is the branch of philosophy that asks how we ought to live and act. What makes an action right or wrong? What do we owe other people? Is there a good life, and what would it look like? Different traditions answer differently. Virtue ethics focuses on character and habits; utilitarianism on outcomes; Kantian ethics on duty and reason. They all assume we can reason about these questions, not just have gut feelings. A good introduction to ethics gives you a first grip on those questions and maybe one or two frameworks. Not the whole canon.

What ethics is not

Ethics is not the same as etiquette, law, or religion. Etiquette is about social convention; ethics asks whether those conventions are justified. Law tells you what you can be punished for; ethics asks what you should do when the law is silent or unjust. Religion often grounds moral claims in scripture or tradition; ethics treats reasons and arguments as the currency. You can do ethics whether or not you're religious. You're doing it whenever you ask "Why is that wrong?" or "What should I do?" and look for reasons, not just authority. That's why an introduction to ethics fits beginners: you already have the raw material. You've wondered whether something was fair, whether you owed someone an apology, whether a rule made sense. Ethics gives you names and tools for that wondering. You don't have to choose between "gut feeling" and "cold logic"—most ethicists treat reasons as something we give each other, in conversation or in writing, and revise when they don't hold up.

Why start with one question or one text?

Ethics for beginners works best when you don't try to cover the whole field. Pick one question that already bothers you ("When is it okay to lie?" or "What do I owe strangers?") or one short text: a dialogue, an essay, or a path that walks you through a single thinker. You'll get further by going deep on one thread than by skimming ten introductions. Survey courses have their place, but they often leave you with a list of "-isms" and no anchor. One question or one text gives you that anchor. Once that's in place, you can branch out—to other traditions, other questions, or to political philosophy and applied ethics.

Ways to begin

1. A learning path — Learning paths take you through texts and reflection prompts step by step. Some focus on ethics: love and obligation, the other person and responsibility, or personhood and ethics in a given tradition. You read, answer prompts, and can start a Socratic dialogue with a philosopher. No signup to browse; create an account to save progress.
2. Socratic dialogue — Start a dialogue with a philosopher (Aristotle, Kant, Simone de Beauvoir) and get your assumptions about right and wrong questioned. The dialogue doesn't assume you've read their work. It pushes you to say what you believe and why. Good if you learn by arguing.
3. One short read — Prefer to read first? Try a single path. The path quiz suggests a path from your interests ("How should I live? Meaning, ethics, love, freedom" is one option).

If you're not sure which format fits you, try the path quiz first. It takes a few minutes and returns a path suggestion based on how you like to learn and what theme excites you. You can always switch: start a path, then open a dialogue on the same topic, or the other way around. Many people do one path to get a foothold, then use a dialogue to test their understanding or argue a point they're unsure about.

Ethics paths on schrodingers.cat

We have paths that work as an introduction to ethics in different keys: Ethics and the philosophy of love (love, obligation, and the good life), Levinas and the other (responsibility and the face of the other), and African philosophy: Akan personhood and ethics (personhood and ethics in the Akan tradition). Pick one that matches the question or tradition you care about. Each path links to primary texts, reflection, and optional Socratic dialogue.

What to read next

After one path or one dialogue, you'll have a better sense of whether you want more virtue ethics, more political or global ethics, or something else. You might find you care more about character and habits (virtue ethics), or about consequences (utilitarianism), or about duty and universal rules (Kant). Or you might want to move from "how should I live?" to "how should we live together?"—that's the step into political philosophy. The paths and the map are built so you can follow those threads. The philosophy map shows thinkers across traditions and time so you can see where the ethics you've met sit. The forum is a place to debate and test your views. Still figuring out how to start philosophy in general? Read Philosophy for beginners: first steps, then come back and pick one ethics path.

Browse learning paths → · Start a Socratic dialogue →

Summary. Ethics is the study of how we should live and why; it's not the same as etiquette, law, or religion. Start with one question or one path rather than the whole field. Use learning paths or Socratic dialogue on schrodingers.cat to get that first grip—then use the map and forum to go deeper.

Key takeaway: An introduction to ethics starts with one question or one path. Learning paths and Socratic dialogue on schrodingers.cat let you do that for free, no degree required.