Adiaphoral

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. The condition of remaining unconcerned or neutral pertains to various philosophical discussions, especially in ethics and moral reasoning
2. This idea signifies an absence of bias or favoritism in moral evaluations, commonly addressed in ethical debates
3. The state of being indifferent or neutral is often explored in philosophical contexts, particularly concerning ethics and moral judgments

Etymology: Among the ancient Greek Stoics, "adiaphora" named things that were neither good nor bad in themselves, such as health, wealth, and reputation, along with their opposites. Only virtue was good and only vice bad, so these middle things had no bearing on a person's moral standing. The Greek is built from "a-", meaning "not," and "diaphoros," meaning "differing," so the literal sense is "not differing," that is, not distinguished by moral value. The English adjective keeps this older sense rather than the broader idea of impartiality suggested by the gloss. In Christian theology, adiaphora came to mean matters that Scripture neither commands nor forbids, such as ceremonies and church customs. Debates over whether such matters could be practised freely or must be avoided became a major source of conflict during the Reformation in Germany.