Tout est « éthique » … mais c’est une éthique à étiqueter ?

Abstract

Everything Is “Ethical” ... but Do We Label Ethics? During the 20th century, science and technology have developed remarkably, improving the quality of life for many people. However, this development, characterised by the excessive exploitation of natural and human resources, has also had negative consequences. In the 21st century, the spread of alarming news has prompted reflection on the ethical standards to be adopted in different areas of human activity, leading to the development of new practices as well as new terminology. These considerations bring us to the quest for the meaning of « éthique » in today’s time. The aim of this study is to examine the meaning of the adjective « éthique », which is often used to describe new concepts in this context. The analysis, carried out on a sample of N + éthique combinations extracted from the French Web 2020 corpus (frTenTen20) revealed that the meanings of « éthique » depend largely on the specialised field concerned. In some cases, the adjective can also be used to emphasise the absence of dishonest practices or with the intention of concealing the nature of an activity whose basic principles are often contested. Keywords: specialised language, terminology, neologism, ethics, French language