Example 1: "...we don’t live in a perfect world, and most everyone sees “ethics” through the lens of their own experiences and point of view. Therefore, in an imperfect world, ethics is subjective."(Cate, J.) This is an example of metaethics since it answers the question of where ethical principles come from in a sense because it looks into how people view ethics differently, meaning that the individual who wrote this views ethics as subjective.
Example 2: "According to Mormonism, everything in the universe — including God —is ultimately governed by eternal transcendent laws and principles." (Carter, J.). This is an example of metaethics because it deals with the question of the origin of morality. In this case, the belief is that the laws that humans should follow are not made by humans.
Example 1: "One definition of “good” is that you follow the rules — you don’t break the law, commit crimes, lie, or cheat." (Riggio, R.). This is an example of normative ethics since it ties into the idea of what a good person is. In this example, the criteria for a good person was simply that the person was honest and complied with rules.
Example 2: "The law affects nearly every aspect of our lives every day. We have laws to deal with crimes like robbery and murder. And we have laws that govern activities like driving a car, getting a job, and getting married. Laws give us rules of conduct that protect everyone's rights" (What Is the Law?). This is an example of normative ethics since it gives a solution for what to do and how to act.
Example 1: "It is more of a moral obligation for humans to protect the environment from pollution and other activities that lead to environmental degradation. Importantly, environmental degradation is detrimental since it threatens the long-term health of the animals, humans and plants." (35 Reasons Why We Need to Be Environmentally Conscious). This is an example of applied ethics because it aims to resolve issues in everyday life.
Example 2: "... non-human animals deserve the ability to live as they wish, without being subjected to the desires of human beings." (Animal Rights: Definition, Issues, and Examples). This is an example of applied ethics because it takes the position that harming animals is immoral and aims to resolve that issue.