The term ethics is derived from a Greek word meaning manners, customs, habits, just as the term morals is derived from a Latin word with a similar meaning. This suggests the character of the science as an account of human action. Anthropology, ethnology, psychology, are also, in their way, accounts of human action. But these latter branches of knowledge simply _describe_, while the business of ethics is to _judge_. This does not mean that it belongs to ethics to prescribe what man ought to do; but that its business is to detect the element of obligation in conduct, to examine conduct to see what gives it its _worth_. Anthropology, etc., do not take into account the _whole_ of action, but simply some of its aspects--either external or internal. Ethics deals with conduct in its entirety, with reference, that is, to what makes it conduct, its _end_, its real meaning. Ethics is the science of conduct, understanding by conduct man's activity in its whole reach. Three of the branches of philosophy may be called _normative_, implying that they deal with some _norm, standard_ or _end_, estimating the value of their respective subject-matters as tested by this end. These are Logic, dealing with the end Truth, and the value of intellectual processes with respect to it; Æsthetics, dealing with Beauty and the value of emotional conditions as referred to it; and Ethics, as defined above. But this norm in no case comes from outside the subject-matter; it is the subject-matter considered in its totality. II. Meaning of Moral. In its widest sense, the term moral or ethical means nothing more than relating to conduct; having to do with practice, when we look at conduct or practice from the point of view not of its occurrence, but of its value. Action is something which takes place, and as such it may be described like any objective fact. But action has also relation to an end, and so considered it is _moral_. The first step in ethics is to fix firmly in mind the idea that the term moral does not mean any special or peculiar kind of conduct, but simply means practice and action, conduct viewed not partially, but in connection with the end which it realizes. It should be noted that the term moral has a wider and a narrower sense. In the wider sense it means action in the moral sphere, as opposed to _non_-moral, and thus includes both good and bad conduct. In the narrower sense it means moral, as opposed to _im_moral. See Bradley, Ethical Studies, p. 53, note, for a further meaning. III. Meaning of Conduct.