Ethics

Version

This article may contain outdated information that is inaccurate for the current version of the game. It was last updated for 2.3.

This article is for the PC version of Stellaris only.

Ethics types interface

Ethics are the guiding principles of an empire and its people. Ethics determine an empire's favored courses of action and responses to situations. Ethics have a profound effect on options available during the game. For instance, diplomatic options with alien species are affected by ethics, as are some options for dealing with anomalies. As a result, ethics choices have a greater impact on game experience than the bonuses and maluses listed on this page.

Empires and individual populations don't always align ethically which can cause internal strife in large nations. AI species follow the same ethics rules and their behavior is heavily dependent on the ethics they follow. Naturally, a Militarist Xenophobe alien empire will react very differently to the player than a Pacifist Xenophile. AI empires will, however, compromise on their ethics if circumstances are dire enough, for instance, if threatened with imminent conquest.

Every empire except Fallen Empires can have either three moderate ethics or one fanatic and one moderate ethic. Fallen Empires have only one fanatic ethic. Pops have only one moderate ethic each.

Pop ethics

Each pop in an empire will now only embrace a single, moderate ethic. At the start of the game, the population will have only the ethics that you picked in species setup but as the empire grows, its population will become more diverse in its views and wants.

Each ethic has an attraction value for each pop in an empire depending on both the empire's situation and their own situation. For example, enslaved pops tend to become more egalitarian, while pops living around non-enslaved aliens become more xenophilic and pops living around enslaved aliens more xenophobic. Conversely, fighting a lot of wars will increase the attraction for militarism across your entire empire, while an alien empire purging pops of a particular species will massively increase the attraction for xenophobic for the species being purged.

Over time, the ethics of the pops will drift in such a way that it roughly matches the overall attraction of that value. For example, if the materialist attraction sits at 10% for decades, it's likely that after that time, around 10% of all pops will be materialist. There is some random factor so it's likely never going to match up perfectly, but the system is built to try and go towards the mean, so the more over-represented an ethic is compared to its attraction, the more likely pops are to drift away from it and vice versa.

Ethics types

Every empire is limited in the number of ethics it can possess. In general, it's possible to either have three different moderate ethics or one fanatical ethic and one moderate one.

By default, each ethic is neutral which provides no bonuses nor maluses. Each "step" into a given ethic costs one point and will lock/unlock different government types and Civics as well as specific bonuses and possibly maluses. Investing two points into one type results in a more "extreme" version of an ethic that further warps your government's political persona in that specific direction, for better or worse.

In addition, ethics exist and are propagated at the population level, with each individual pop unit in your empire having the capability to have, develop, and deviate from your starting ethics. The numerical modifiers affecting the probabilities and likelihoods of this happening are detailed in the specific pop ethic weights tables for each dichotomous relation.

Authoritarian - Egalitarian

The authoritarian - egalitarian dichotomy axis looks at how the political power is distributed within the empire, be it in the hands of many, few or one individual.

Authoritarians believe that power should be concentrated in the hands of a few individuals whose rule should be entrenched by a strong social hierarchy and limited political freedoms. Authoritarianism is not diametrically opposed to democracy, as both forms of government tend to have some form of submission to authority. The difference occurs in that egalitarians prefer to divide responsibility for decision making among as many individuals as possible, where authoritarians prefer to concentrate such responsibilities into the hands of a select few individuals or a single ruler. The political belief in who should hold power naturally has societal implications: authoritarians, believing power should be concentrated into the hands of a few, would seek to install strong social hierarchies and limit the social mobility of individuals to preserve that structure. Social stratification, on the other hand, would be a concept abhorrent to egalitarians - in fact, such a concept is perhaps the antithesis of egalitarianism, which seeks to eliminate such hierarchies.

Following these beliefs, authoritarians cannot have Democratic authority, while egalitarians cannot have Autocratic authority. Their fanatic counterparts go further and disallow Oligarchic authority as well, leaving Fanatic Authoritarians with only Autocratic authority and Fanatic Egalitarians with just Democratic authority, respectively. Authoritarians also have the ability to displace pops, where instead of being purged, pops are deported and forced to flee, either to other empires or perhaps to unclaimed planets.

Ingame, authoritarians strive to use pops like tools and objects and control their actions accordingly and thus gain bonuses to influence generation (representing the strong centralized government championed by this ethic) and worker job output (representing their desire to control and direct the actions of the population). They also have access to stratified economies, which reduces the consumer goods consumption of worker and slave pops, meant to imitate the rigid social hierarchies that typify authoritarian societies.

Egalitarians, on the other hand, believing in equality, seek to let pops rule themselves and gain bonuses to specialist job output (reflecting the increased freedoms championed by this ethic) and increased influence gain from factions, representing their strive towards democratic governance. They also have access to the "Utopian Abundance" living standard, increasing happiness and resource output even more than Social Welfare at the expense of increased consumer goods use.

Type	Effects	Principles	Description
Fanatic Authoritarian	+1 Monthly Influence +10% Worker Output	Must have Autocratic authority Allows Stratified Economy Living Standards Can Enslave aliens	A single voice, a single throne, a single state. It is the solemn duty of the masses to obey those enlightened few who have been charged with the great responsibility of leadership.
Authoritarian	+0.5 Monthly Influence +5% Worker Output	Cannot use Democratic authority Allows Stratified Economy Living Standards Can Enslave aliens	A strong, guiding hand is essential to the success of any civilization - the alternative would be anarchy and chaos. It is the duty of the state to steer its citizens towards the paths that are the most productive
Egalitarian	+25% Faction Influence Gain +5% Specialist Output	Cannot use Autocratic authority Allows Utopian Living Standards	Any society that does not embrace equality between its members - where an individual can rise to any position with enough hard work - is not only deeply unfair, but ultimately counterproductive.
Fanatic Egalitarian	+50% Faction Influence Gain +10% Specialist Output	Must have Democratic authority Allows Utopian Living Standards	Beware always those who would be despots, under the false presumption that their desires and agendas are somehow more imperative than those of their fellows. A society that does not see to the needs and rights of all of its members is not a society - it is a crime.

Pop Ethic Weights Authoritarian
Factor	Requirement
2.00	Has totalitarian faction and is not Authoritarian or Fanatic Authoritarian
1.50	Leader of the totalitarian faction is the ruler
2.00	Has Authoritarian
3.00	Has Fanatic Authoritarian
1.25	Has Election type None ( Imperial)
0.75	Has Election Type Democratic ( Democratic)
1.25	Pop is Decadent
1.50	A pop of this species is enslaved. Ignores robot Pops.
1.25	A pop from another species is enslaved. Unless a pop of this species is also enslaved. Ignores robot Pops.
0.75	Pop has good, utopian or shared burden living standards

Pop Ethic Weights Egalitarian
Factor	Requirement
2.00	Has progressive faction and is not Egalitarian or Fanatic Egalitarian
1.50	Leader of the progressive faction is the ruler
2.00	Has Egalitarian
3.00	Has Fanatic Egalitarian
0.75	Default country and Election Type None ( Imperial)
1.25	Default country and Election Type Democratic ( Democratic)
1.50	Is in Defense Pact, Commercial Pact or Federation with a Egalitarian or Fanatic Egalitarian Empire
2.00	Any non-subject Egalitarian or Fanatic Egalitarian Empire has migration access
0.50	Pop is Decadent
1.50	Pop does not have Full Citizenship
1.50	Is not enslaved but another non-Robot pop on the world is.
1.25	Pop has good, utopian or shared burden living standards

Xenophobe - Xenophile

The xenophobe - xenophile dichotomy axis looks at the empire's views regarding foreign species.

Xenophobes consider that different species would introduce foreign ideas and thoughts that could destabilize and, in the end, destroy the empire or, at the very least, its cultural and genetic identity. In contrast, Xenophiles believe that society would grow stagnant without different concepts and moralities and are thus considered staunch believers in unity by diversity. Xenophobes are particularly keen on enslaving, displacing and purging aliens and will never accept them as equals while Xenophiles prefer conducting diplomacy and making alliances, viewing all organics as equal.

Xenophobes are intolerant of alien species and, as such, cannot give them citizenship while having the ability to enslave and purge them. Xenophobes prioritize the wellbeing and survival of their native population, granting them bonuses to population growth rate and starbase construction.

Xenophiles, on the other hand, are much more open and accepting to things from outside their empire and thus gain a bonus to trade value (representing their interest in using trade to facilitate contact between empires) and diplomatic upkeep (representing their higher willingness to coexist and conduct diplomacy with other empires)

Type	Effects	Principles	Description
Fanatic Xenophobe	-40% Starbase Influence Cost +20% Pop Growth Speed	Can Purge and Displace aliens Can Enslave aliens Decreased Opinion for other species Cannot give aliens Full Citizenship Cannot allow aliens Full Military Service Cannot use Refugees Welcome species policy	Any alien influence must be ruthlessly quashed. Only by staying pure, and true to ourselves and the planet that gave us life can we guard against insidious Xeno plots. Even mastery over the Alien might not be enough to guarantee our own safety...
Xenophobe	-20% Starbase Influence Cost +10% Pop Growth Speed	Can Purge and Displace aliens Can Enslave aliens Decreased Opinion for other species Cannot give aliens Full Citizenship Cannot allow aliens Full Military Service Cannot use Refugees Welcome species policy	The stakes could not be higher as we reach into the vast uncharted expanses of the galaxy, for we are gambling with the very survival of our species! Never trust the alien; its false smile hides an unknowable mind...
Xenophile	+10% Trade Value −25% Diplomatic Influence Upkeep	Increased Opinion for other species Cannot use No Refugees species policy Cannot Displace aliens	There exists, in all of us, a deep-seated fascination for the unknown. An adventurous spirit that rejects the familiar and glories in the unfamiliar, whatever - or whomever - it may be.
Fanatic Xenophile	+20% Trade Value −50% Diplomatic Influence Upkeep	Increased Opinion for other species Cannot use No Refugees species policy Cannot Displace aliens	If there ever was such a thing as an absolute moral imperative, it would be to explore the cosmos and embrace all within it. We were never meant to journey alone.

Pop Ethic Weights Xenophobe
Factor	Requirement
2.00	Has supremacist or isolationist faction and is not Xenophobe or Fanatic Xenophobe
1.50	Leader of the supremacist or isolationist faction is the ruler
2.00	Has Xenophobe
3.00	Has Fanatic Xenophobe
1.50	Has the Inwards Perfection civic
1.50	Has the Fanatic Purifiers civic
0.75	Non-subject Xeno empire has migration acess
0.75	Allows alien leaders
3.00	In a defensive war against a xeno empire
2.00	A xeno empire has enslaved your primary species. Robot Pops excluded
4.00	A xeno empire has committed genocide on your empire's primary species
2.00	This pop is not enslaved but a xeno is enslaved on the world
0.50	This pop is not enslaved and a not enslaved xeno is on the world
1.50	A Repugnant xeno is on the world

Pop Ethic Weights Xenophile
Factor	Requirement
2.00	Has xenoist faction and is not Xenophile or Fanatic Xenophile
1.50	Leader of the xenoist faction is the ruler
2.00	Has Xenophile
3.00	Has Fanatic Xenophile
0.50	Has the Inwards Perfection civic
0.33	Has the Fanatic Purifiers civic
1.50	Allows alien leaders
1.50	Non-subject Xeno empire has migration acess
1.33	In a defensive pact, commerical pact or Federation with a xeno empire
0.25	A xeno empire has committed genocide on your empire's primary species
0.50	A xeno empire has enslaved a pop of your empires primary species
2.00	Pop is a xeno, does not have full citizenship and is not enslaved
2.00	Pop is not enslaved and a sapient free xeno pop is on the world
1.50	A charismatic xeno is on the world

Militarist - Pacifist

The militarist - pacifist dichotomy axis considers the merit of war and what the role of the empire's military should be.

Militarists view aggression as the only needed form of diplomacy, upholding warfare as a tradition and view their military as a tool to facilitate the expansion of national borders and the subjugation of enemies by force of arms. In contrast, pacifists believe that violence breeds self-defeating hatred, death and destruction, and that friendly (or neutral) cooperation between empires is more beneficial than undignified bloodshed. In their eyes, the empire's military should only act as an armed deterrent to discourage and prevent invasions and war and that violence should only be used as a last resort in the direst of emergencies.

Militarists have a vested interest in expansionism and shows of strength, and therefore gain valuable advantages in warfare in the form of bonuses to fire rate and claim cost discounts, while also allowing them to use the "No retreat" war doctrine. Pacifists are more inclined towards inwards perfection and are able to focus more on events closer to home, with increased stability and administrative capacity.

Pacifists are naturally hesitant and reluctant to wage war and are thus unable to use the "Unrestricted wars" war policy. Fanatic Pacifists are wholly unwilling to attack anyone unless attacked first and are restricted to the "Defensive wars" war policy. These restrictions do not, however, affect Federation warfare.

Type	Effects	Principles	Description
Fanatic Militarist	-20% Claim Influence Cost +20% Ship Fire Rate	Can use the No Retreat War Doctrine	The ability to project force is of paramount importance. The only way to preserve our way of life is to make sure everyone shares it; willingly or not...
Militarist	-10% Claim Influence Cost +10% Ship Fire Rate	Can use the No Retreat War Doctrine	The only true virtues are courage and discipline, and channeled properly they can overcome any obstacle. Therein lies true strength; force withheld, a promise made.
Pacifist	+10 Administrative Cap +5 Stability	Cannot use Unrestricted Wars policy Cannot engage in Indiscriminate Orbital Bombardment	Conflict as a means to an end is a ridiculous concept. It is by nature destructive, destroying what was to be obtained or giving room to grow that which was to be destroyed.
Fanatic Pacifist	+20 Administrative Cap +10 Stability	Must use Defensive Wars Only policy Cannot engage in Indiscriminate Orbital Bombardment	As civilized beings, the end of all armed conflict should be our primary concern. War is an evolutionary dead end, as futile as it is wasteful.

Pop Ethic Weights Militarist
Factor	Requirement
2.00	Has imperialist faction and is not Militarist or Fanatic Militarist
1.50	Leader of the imperialist faction is the ruler
2.00	Has Militarist
3.00	Has Fanatic Militarist
0.33	Has the Inwards Perfection civic
0.75	Has been at peace for over 20 years (After year 2250)
0.75	Has been at peace for over 40 years (After year 2250)
0.75	Has been at peace for over 60 years (After year 2250)
0.75	Has been at peace for over 80 years (After year 2250)
0.75	Has been at peace for over 100 years (After year 2250)
1.25	Another empire controls a planet you were the original owner of
2.00	Pop has citizen rights or can be military leader and is in a war
2.00	Pop has citizen rights or can be military leader and has recently lost a war
1.50	Pop has citizen rights or can be military leader and a neighbor is hostile, domineering or a rival
1.10	Pop is Strong
1.20	Pop is Very Strong
0.75	Pop is Weak
3.00	Pop is on an occupied Planet

Pop Ethic Weights Pacifist
Factor	Requirement
2.00	Has prosperity faction and is not Pacifist or Fanatic Pacifist
1.50	Leader of the prosperity faction is the ruler
2.00	Has Pacifist
3.00	Has Fanatic Pacifist
1.50	Has the Inwards Perfection civic
0.50	Has the Fanatic Purifiers civic
1.33	Has been at peace for over 20 years (After year 2250)
1.33	Has been at peace for over 40 years (After year 2250)
1.33	Has been at peace for over 60 years (After year 2250)
1.33	Has been at peace for over 80 years (After year 2250)
1.33	Has been at peace for over 100 years (After year 2250)
0.50	Pop has citizen rights or can be military leader and any neighbor is hostile, domineering, or a rival

Materialist - Spiritualist

The materialist - spiritualist dichotomy axis looks at Epistemology, Metaphysics, the nature of being and reality in general as well as the empire's view on the Mind-Body Problem.

While the in-game text might make it seem like a "science vs religion" axis, the materialist-spiritualist axis is much deeper than that.

On one hand, materialists disregard religion as superstition, considering that the physical universe and all that lies therein is all there is, that consciousness is a product of the physical world and that life has no intrinsic meaning outside of the physical realm and that the only true purpose is what they make of it. Thus they believe that through science, they can achieve mastery over both the physical world and themselves.

In contrast, spiritualists reject raw, 'hard' science and believe that there is more to the world than what meets the eye, that consciousness surpasses materiality, that there are other planes of existence beyond the one they are on and that their temporal, corporeal bodies, subjected to the vicissitudes of the universe, are only a means towards a greater end: To improve themselves spiritually in anticipation of their future ascension to higher planes of existence.

Materialists are scientific and get a bonus to research speed and robot upkeep, while Spiritualists strive towards piety, unity, and tradition and thus gain more unity and have lower edict costs. Materialists are more likely to draw Robotic technologies, while Spiritualists are more likely to draw Psionic technologies.

Materialists are normally unable to access psionics research unless they have employed a scientist with the leader trait Expertise: Psionics. The trait is only available through an event because it's inaccessible without the technology Psionic Theory, which is also inaccessible without the expertise trait. Even having a maniacal Society leader is not sufficient for a Materialist empire. Spiritualists on the other hand are capable of accessing robotics research without any restrictions but will suffer happiness penalties for not outlawing AI and cannot give citizen rights to robots of any kind.

Type	Effects	Principles	Description
Fanatic Materialist	−20% Robot Upkeep +10% Research Speed	Allows Academic Privilege living standards Cannot use AI Outlawed policy Cannot use Robotic Workers Outlawed policy	Although it hurts, we must grow up and put aside our outdated notions of morality. There is no 'divine spark' granting special value to a living mind. No object has any intrinsic value apart from what we choose to grant it. Let us embrace the freedom of certitude, and achieve maximum efficiency in all things!
Materialist	−10% Robot Upkeep +5% Research Speed	Allows Academic Privilege living standards Cannot use AI Outlawed policy Cannot use Robotic Workers Outlawed policy	As we reach for the stars, we must put away childish things; gods, spirits and other phantasms of the brain. Reality is cruel and unforgiving, yet we must steel ourselves and secure the survival of our race through the unflinching pursuit of science and technology.
Spiritualist	+10% Monthly Unity -5% Edict Cost	Can build Temple buildings Can create Hallowed Worlds Cannot use Full AI Rights policy	There are those think it behooves us to remember how tiny we are, how pointless our lives in this vast uncaring universe... What nonsense! The only truth we can ever know is that of our own existence. The universe - in all its apparent glory - is but a dream we all happen to share.
Fanatic Spiritualist	+20% Monthly Unity -10% Edict Cost	Can build Temple buildings Can create Hallowed Worlds Cannot use Full AI Rights policy	Our science has proved that Consciousness begets reality. We regard with patience the childlike efforts of those who delude themselves it is the other way around, as they play with their blocks of 'hard matter'.

Pop Ethic Weights Spiritualist
Factor	Requirement
2.00	Has traditionalist faction and is not Spiritualist or Fanatic Spiritualist
1.50	Leader of the traditionalist faction is the ruler
2.00	Has Spiritualist
3.00	Has Fanatic Spiritualist
1.25	Has Psionic Theory
1.50	Has mind over matter ascension perk
1.50	Has transcendence ascension perk
0.75	Has AI full rights
2.00	Is Subject of a Spiritualist or Fanatic Spiritualist empire
1.50	Has defense pact, commercial pact or Federation with a Fanatic Spiritualist or Spiritualist
2.00	Non-Subject Fanatic Spiritualist or Spiritualist Empire has migration access
0.25	Pop is a robot

Pop Ethic Weights Materialist
Factor	Requirement
2.00	Has technologist faction and is not Materialist or Fanatic Materialist
1.50	Leader of the technologist faction is the ruler
2.00	Has Materialist
3.00	Has Fanatic Materialist
1.25	Has the Mechanist civic
1.25	Has AI full rights
1.33	Has a research agreement with a Fanatic Materialist or Materialist
0.00	Pop has Priest or High Priest job
2.00	Pop is a robot
1.50	Pop has cybernetic
1.25	Pop is not a robot but owned Robot pop on planet
1.25	Pop has trait Natural Engineers, Natural Sociologists or Natural Physicists

Gestalt Consciousness

This ethic allows for a unique playstyle where the entire empire is considered to be a singular massive organism, being or collective directed by a central consciousness/mind and every individual is merely an extension of that collective consciousness/mind. With one vast linked consciousness guiding every individual, the guiding values of a gestalt consciousness empire are whatever the player deems them to be (meaning, there are no factions or ethics drift at all). Both the Hive Mind and the Machine Intelligence authorities belong to this ethic and they each have an accompanying set of civics suitable to their playstyle (as regular civics cannot be picked).

All Pops from the founder species of a Gestalt Consciousness will have a trait corresponding to the chosen authority. Their pops are not affected by happiness and will never form factions, allowing Gestalt Consciousnesses to completely ignore internal politics... though this comes as a cost, as they also cannot benefit from the influence boost and other benefits provided by happy Factions in a regular empire.

As Gestalt Consciousnesses rely completely on their ability to be connected at all time with the drone population, they are also unable to rule over non-native Pops, and any such Pops in the empire will automatically be displaced, enslaved, or purged. Similarly, Gestalt Consciousness pops that end up in non-gestalt consciousness empires will be cut off from the collective and will perish over time. In the case of a Hive mind, however, this changes if the empire has the Evolutionary Mastery Ascension Perk. That that case, the Hive Mind empire can integrate conquered non-native pops into their collective consciousness, allowing them to be assimilated and used like normal drones. Likewise, a Non-Hive Mind empire with the Ascension Perk that has Hive mind pops living on their planets can detach those pops from the collective consciousness they originated from and integrate them into their society as citizens.

Diplomatically, most Gestalt Consciousnesses can still coexist with other species: They have full access to diplomacy and can have non-Gestalt Consciousnesses as subjects (and can be ruled over as subjects by non-Gestalt Consciousnesses in turn), though non-Gestalt Consciousness empires tend to be somewhat distrustful of Gestalt Consciousnesses upon first contact. Unlike other ethics, Gestalt Consciousness can only be picked when creating a new empire and the choice is permanent.

Type	Effects	Principles	Description
Gestalt Consciousness	-20% War Exhaustion Gain +1 Monthly Influence	Cannot use any default authority Can use the Full Orbital Bombardment policy Rulers are Immortal Native Pops are not affected by happiness and will not join Factions Native Pops cannot survive in empires with a different authority Non-native Pops cannot survive in Gestalt Consciousness empires Can use the No Retreat War Doctrine	We reach into the void. The vast expanse becomes us.

Note that whilst the Ruler is immortal, regular Leaders are not, since they are merely normal drones with increased autonomy. Hive Mind Leaders will age normally, and there is a chance every ten years that one Machine Intelligence Leader will suffer a fatal accident. Hive Minds can extend leader lifespan through research and genetic engineering, whilst Machine Intelligences may take the Self-Preservation Protocols Tradition to reduce the accident chance by half.

Ethics change

Empire ethics can be changed once every 20 years by embracing a faction. You will also receive a notification if another empire does so. Embracing a faction causes an ethic shift to the faction's ethic, having it added or promoted into fanatic if you have it. Other ethics gets demoted or removed to keep the total ethic points the same as before, using the following rule:

• Shifting to a new ethic: the fanatic ethic gets demoted to non-fanatic if there is one, otherwise the ethic with the lowest attraction will be removed.
• Shifting to an existing non-fanatic ethic: the existing fanatic ethic gets demoted to non-fanatic if there is one, otherwise the ethic with the lowest attraction will be removed.
• Shifting to an opposite ethic: the ethic opposing the new one gets removed, if it was fanatic then your other existing ethic becomes fanatic.

One way to ensure an ethic has the lowest attraction and will be removed is to suppress it and promote other factions with the game paused, shift ethics and then undo the suppression and promotions before unpausing.

Event changes

Ethics can also be changed as a result of certain events:

• At the end of the Old Gods event chain there is the option to "start a religious renaissance", which will shift the empire towards Spiritualist if not Fanatic Spiritualist already.
• Becoming a Dominion shifts an empire towards Spiritualist twice unless Gestalt Consciousness, causing the empire to become Fanatic Spiritualist.
• If a leader gets the Chosen One trait via the Shroud a month later the empire will get the option to accept the "Divine Mandate" which will give the empire the following government:
  • Fanatic Authoritarian
  • Spiritualist
  • Imperial authority
  • Imperial Cult civic
  • Philosopher King civic
  • Aristocratic Elite civic
• Or if the government already has Fanatic Spiritualist ethic:
  • Authoritarian
  • Fanatic Spiritualist
  • Imperial authority
  • Imperial Cult civic
  • Philosopher King civic
  • Aristocratic Elite civic

The leader with the chosen one trait will become the new god-emperor

References

Game concepts