What distinguishes Descriptive ethics from other branches?

Descriptive ethics is primarily focused on observing and documenting the moral beliefs and practices of individuals and groups without making normative judgments or recommendations about how they should act. It aims to provide an objective account of what people believe to be right or wrong, based on empirical evidence. This aspect of descriptive ethics sets it apart from normative ethics, which prescribes how individuals ought to behave, and from meta-ethics, which examines the nature and meaning of moral concepts. By concentrating on the actual beliefs and understandings of morality that people hold, descriptive ethics provides valuable insights into societal values and cultural differences surrounding ethical issues. This foundational understanding of moral beliefs is essential for the broader study of ethics and influences normative theories and debates.

The other branches of ethics, such as normative ethics, involve establishing standards or principles that dictate the moral course of action. In contrast, descriptive ethics is not concerned with what individuals should do, but rather with what they actually believe and practice regarding morality.