Ethics claims to address the subject of values in a practical manner.
An ethical discussion based on rational arguments is supposed to reduce the appeal to emotion in controversial issues and to foster public confidence. Ethical issues have been extensively invoked in discussions regarding biotechnology. These issues are closely tied to fundamental differences in worldviews among major regions of the world. Often, depending on the respective worldview, other ethical theories are applied in order to strengthen one particular position. In this context, ethics has to be regarded in a critical light as well, and ways must be found to determine which ethical approach is most appropriate for a specific case.