Final answer:
The statement that ethical considerations always start from the top is false. Ethics can emerge from various levels, including individual consciousness, and the study of ethics includes critical examination of a broad range of principles and their application to real-world scenarios.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that ethical considerations always start from the top with the formulation of ethical principles or basic ethical values is false. While it is often thought that ethical principles are top-down directives, they can also emerge from grassroots levels or individual ethical consciousness. The subject of ethics is broad, encompassing fields such as metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics. Metaethics deals with foundational questions such as the origin of moral values, which may posit that ethics could start from various sources, not exclusively from the top.
Diverse ethical principles may lead to different moral rules. Ultimately, it's through the critical examination and application of these principles to real-world scenarios that they are tested and refined. Philosophers and ethicists argue about whether morality originates in some external framework, like cultural or religious norms, or within the self, through the conscience. Therefore, the process of ethical deliberation is dynamic and not strictly top-down.