Which term is defined as a set of moral principles; a theory or system of moral values?

• A. Autonomy
• B. Advocate
• C. Macrosystem
• D. Ethics

Answer: (D)

Ethics refers to a set of moral principles that guide what people ought to do and help professionals evaluate judgments about right and wrong. It provides a framework for deciding how to act in situations where values clash, such as balancing patient autonomy with beneficence, protecting confidentiality, and ensuring justice in care. This makes it the best answer because the other terms describe different ideas: autonomy is the right of individuals to govern their own choices; an advocate is someone who supports or defends a cause or patient; a macrosystem refers to the broad cultural and societal context in ecological models. While these can influence healthcare decisions, they don’t themselves define a system of moral values. Ethics, in contrast, is the field that studies and applies those moral principles in practice.