National Ethics Awareness Month - What better time than National Ethics Awareness Month to establish a thoughtful approach to developing an organization's ethical culture?

National Ethics Awareness Month 2025 – March 2025

National Ethics Awareness Month is observed in March every year. This is a time for all individuals and organizations to reflect on the ethics they adhere to and how they can improve upon them. Ethics is a discipline of philosophy that studies morality, moral notions (such as justice, virtue, and obligation), and moral language. Ethics, like aesthetics, is concerned with considerations of value, and hence belongs to the area of philosophy known as axiology. Various ethical theories offer different solutions to the question “What is the greatest good?” and lay out a comprehensive range of appropriate.

History of National Ethics Awareness Month

The study of ethics, which also includes the fundamental issues of practical decision-making, is concerned with the nature of ultimate value and the standards by which human acts can be regarded as right or bad. Many people claim that there are no moral universals and that because cultures differ so greatly, no single moral principle or judgment can be accepted universally. This is not the case, however. Sure, there are significant differences in how the general principles articulated are put into practice. Children’s responsibilities to their parents, for example, are one thing in ancient Chinese cultures but quite another in modern Western countries. Concern for kin and reciprocity, on the other hand, are generally valued in practically all human cultures.It’s tough to establish the exact year and location when it comes to the origin of ethics. The original ethical principles must have been passed down through the generations by word of mouth from parents and elders, but as civilizations learned to write, they began to record their ethical ideas. A collection of lists of precepts to be taught by youths of Egypt’s ruling elite, compiled approximately 3,000 years before the Christian Era, are the earliest surviving documents that may be considered ethics textbooks. They frequently contain sound advice about how to live peacefully, avoid unneeded problems, and succeed in one’s vocation by earning the respect of authorities. Several passages, on the other hand, advocate for more generally based principles of behavior that were more appropriate for the time, such as the following: rulers should treat their subjects fairly and evaluate them impartially.Then came normative ethics, which intended to establish guidelines or standards for behavior. This refers to the discussion of norms about what one should do, which has been a key aspect of Western ethics throughout history. Since the mid-1960s, the most notable trend in the study of ethics has been the rise in interest among philosophers in practical, or applied, ethics — that is, the application of normative ethical theories to real-world situations.Modern-day ethics revolve around normative ethics and their application in settings such as workplaces. National Ethics Awareness Month encourages companies and people to look at their code of ethics and what they can do to be fairer and just in their application.

National Ethics Awareness Month timeline

1500 B.C.
Indian Ethics

Writings called the “Vedas” are found stating the philosophical Indian ethical teachings.

1906
Right and Wrong

Finnish anthropologist Edward Westermarck compares differences in cultures in terms of duties and wrongness of actions.

1930s
Positivism and Emotivism

This period sees a rise in the positivism and emotivism schools of thought.

1960s
Applied Ethics

The application of normative ethical theories to practical problems begins to be explored.

National Ethics Awareness Month FAQs

What are ethics?

While there is no one definition of ethics, it broadly refers to a study of judgments of value, of good and evil, right and wrong, desirable and undesirable.

Are there different types of ethics?

Ethics can generally be divided into three main categories — metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics.

What makes someone ethical?

An ethical person is usually someone who is honest and conducts themselves based on good moral standards.

How to Observe National Ethics Awareness Month

  1. Reflect on ethics

    Examine your current level of ethics and ethical behavior, as well as that of your organization. Assess its strengths and faults to determine what needs to be improved.

  2. Learn about ethics

    Research the different schools of thought in terms of ethics and see the code of ethics followed by other successful organizations. Analyze what is proven to be for the greater good of all in the workplace and learn more about it.

  3. Spread ethics awareness

    Organize ethics awareness workshops and seminars. Help spread awareness about the importance of ethics and ethical conduct for the benefit of everyone.

5 Ethics Phrases And What They Mean

  1. Moral supernaturalism

    The idea is that God or someone supernatural is the moral lawgiver.

  2. Moral secularism

    The idea is that moral laws come from no one but humans themselves.

  3. Morality

    The rightness or wrongness of an action.

  4. Relativism

    The idea is that the truth is relative to the knowing subject.

  5. Moral duty

    Something that we ought to do either because it is stated in some moral code or because of our moral consciousness.

Why National Ethics Awareness Month is Important

  1. It’s a chance to reflect

    This month allows us to reflect on what we and our businesses stand for, as well as assess the level of ethical compliance. Ethical behavior is critical for a workplace and its employees, and this provides us with an opportunity to check in.

  2. It’s educational

    There is a plethora of information out there when it comes to ethics and the different schools of thought for it. Spreading awareness and learning about them is a good way to increase knowledge and find something that truly resonates with you.

  3. It’s informative

    Often we can be blinded to the struggles and experiences of others if we are in a position of privilege. While things may be going smoothly for us, they may not be the same for your colleagues facing unethical treatment. This is a time to learn about those struggles and work together to fix them.

National Ethics Awareness Month dates

Year Date Day
2023 March 1 Wednesday
2024 March 1 Friday
2025 March 1 Saturday
2026 March 1 Sunday
2027 March 1 Monday
World Compliment Day
National Peanut Butter Lover's Day
St. David's Day
National Pig Day
Baby Sleep Day
Self-Injury Awareness Day
National Wedding Planning Day
Share a Smile Day
National Black Women in Jazz and the Arts Day
Independence Movement Day
World Music Therapy Day
National Dadgum That's Good Day
Refired Not Retired Day
Yap Day
World Civil Defense Day
National Fruit Compote Day
National Horse Protection Day
Zero Discrimination Day
International Ideas Month
Asiatic Fleet Memorial Day
Tsagaan Sar
National March First Day
National Texas Stress Day
World Seagrass Day
International Martisor
Public Risk Management Awareness Day
National Sage Day
Endometriosis Awareness Day
National Hotel Slipper Day
National Minnesota Day
Plan a Solo Vacation Day
Peace Corps Day
National Welsh Corgi Day
Earth God's Birthday
Ramadan Begins
Baba Marta
Mărțișor
International Women of Color Day
Justin Bieber's Birthday
Kenny Redneck Tv's Birthday
Frederic Chopin's Birthday
Sawyer Sharbino's Birthday
Philza's Birthday
Kesha's Birthday
Ron Howard's Birthday
Wonho's Birthday
Universal Human Beings Week
Hearing Awareness Week
North Dakota Winter Show
National Will Eisner Week
National Write a Letter of Appreciation Week
National Ghostwriters Week
Festival of Owls Week
Iditarod Race
National Aplastic Anemia & MDS Awareness Week
National Invest in Veterans Week
International Women’s Week
Poison Prevention Awareness Month
Irish American Heritage Month
National Caffeine Awareness Month
National Celery Month
National Crafting Month
National Frozen Food Month
National Kidney Month
National Noodle Month
National Nutrition Month
National Peanut Month
National Sauce Month
National Cheerleading Safety Month
National Umbrella Month
National Flour Month
March Madness
Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month
National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
National Social Work Month
Brain Injury Awareness Month
Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig Month
Workplace Eye Wellness Month
Trisomy Awareness Month
National Crochet Month
Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month
National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month
Dolphin Awareness Month
Red Cross Month
National Color Therapy Month
Ramadan
National Endometriosis Awareness Month
National Reading Month
Colic Awareness Month
Veggie Month
National Athletic Training Month
National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
Save Your Vision Awareness Month
National Women's History Month
National Eye Donor Month
Berries and Cherries Month
National Ethics Awareness Month
NZ Book Month
Alport Syndrome Awareness Month
Exotic Winter Fruit & Leeks and Green Onions Month
Listening Awareness Month
Gardening, Nature and Ecology Books Month
Middle Level Education Month
Women’s Month (Philippines)
Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal
Vascular Anomalies Awareness Month
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Awareness Month
National Deaf History Month
American Red Cross Month
Endometriosis Month
Gender Equality Month
Read an E-Book Month
National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
Mad for Plaid Month
Youth Art Month
National Breast Implant Awareness Month
National Bed Month (U.K.)
Colorectal Cancer Education and Awareness Month
Greek American Heritage Month
Birth anniversary of Samaon Sulaiman
Supply Management Month
National Optimism Month
Employee Spirit Month
Humorists are Artists Month
National Essential Tremor Awareness Month
Spiritual Wellness Month
Academy Awards Month
Sing With Your Child Month
National Professional Social Worker's Month
The Great Daffodil Appeal
Honor Society Awareness Month
Small Press Month
Malignant Hyperthermia Awareness and Training Month
Mental Retardation Awareness Month
National Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Month
International Mirth Month
Play the Recorder Month
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National Music in Our Schools Month
National Clean up Your IRS Act Month
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Expanding Girls' Horizons in Science and Engineering Month
National March Into Literacy Month