Final answer:
Ethics instructs individuals on how to behave according to societal norms and personal values, contributing to societal harmony. Normative ethics focuses on these norms, while environmental ethics deals with our interactions with nature.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ethics is important because it guides individuals on how to act within accepted norms, principles, and values, which contributes to living in harmony with others and the environment. Normative ethics, one of the branches of ethical inquiry, deals with these norms and principles, helping to establish what is viewed as right behavior. Different ethical principles, such as those derived from Confucianism, utilitarianism, or deontology (including Kant's categorical imperative), can lead to varying sets of rules or behaviors. The field of environmental ethics addresses our interactions with the nonhuman world, and initiatives like scientific ethics ensure that research and practice do not harm living organisms or natural ecosystems.