Section I. contains a general survey of the subject; it shows in what
sense ethics is to be regarded as a special field of philosophical
investigation--its relations to other departments of thought,
especially to psychology, religion and modern physical science. The
article makes no attempt to give a detailed, casuistical examination
of the matter of ethical theory. For this, reference must be made to
special articles on philosophic schools, writers and terms.
Section II. is a historical sketch in four parts tracing the main
lines of development in ethical speculation from its birth to the
present day. Here again it has been possible to notice only the
salient points or landmarks, leaving all detail to special articles as
above. All important writers whose names occur in this sketch are
treated in special biographical articles, and references are given as
often as possible to supplementary articles which illustrate and
explain points which cannot be fully treated here. This is especially
the case in connexion with technical terms (whose history and meaning
are inevitably taken for granted) and biographical information about
minor ethical writers.