Introduction

The introduction presents the book’s central argument that academic ethicists contribute to democratic policymaking not by providing definitive moral answers, but by supporting democratic public reasoning through ethics advice. It introduces orientational ethics as a philosophical framework that responds to the challenges of moral and ethical pluralism in open democracies. Ethics advice is understood as assistance with normative reasoning, aimed at strengthening the democratic ethos and fostering a shared moral horizon while respecting diversity. To clarify the possible contributions of ethicists, the book develops a conceptual cartography of four ideal-typical roles: the pure philosopher, ethics advocate, ethics facilitator, and engaged philosopher. It argues that ethics advice should resist political and normative antagonism by promoting reflective dialogue and context-sensitive judgment. Finally, the introduction outlines three interconnected forms of ethical engagement, explicating, engaging, and orienting, which are elaborated throughout the book and operationalised in the concluding chapter as a practical roadmap for ethics advice in democratic policymaking.