Ethics

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This article is for the PC version of Stellaris only.

Ethos types interface

An ethos (also called ethics) is considered the sum of all beliefs and ideals that a given group of people have. It is responsible for their favored courses of action and responses to situations. Ethos has a profound effect on options available during the game. For instance, diplomatic options with alien species are affected by Ethos, as are some options for dealing with anomalies. As a result Ethos 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 and this effect is exacerbated the farther from a core region a given species is, which can cause internal strife in large nations.

AI species follow the same Ethics rules and their behaviour is heavily dependent on the ethics they follow. Naturally, a Militarist Xenophobe alien species will react very differently to the player than a Pacifist Xenophile. AI species will however compromise on their ethics if circumstances are dire enough, for instance if threatened with imminent conquest.

Ethos types

Every empire is limited in the amount of ethos it can possess. In general it's possible to either have three different moderate ethos types or one fanatical ethos and one moderate one.

By default each ethic is neutral which provides no bonuses nor maluses. Each "step" into a given ethos costs one point and will lock/unlock different government types as well as specific bonuses and possibly maluses. Investing two points into one type results in a more "extreme" version of an ethos that grants further bonuses and potential greater maluses.^[1]

Collectivist - Individualist

The collectivist - individualist dichotomy looks at the worth of an individual.

Collectivists consider that an individual should cooperate with the the rest of the society in order to benefit society as a whole. In contrast, individualists believe that an individual should be the master of their own destiny and pursue their own goals, dreams, and ambitions.

Collectivists focus on pursuing one common goal while the individualists focus on attempting to coexist while each pursuing their own. As such, even though collectivists empathise "the need of many" they do not deal well with democracy and lean towards autocracy (aren't self-centred enough to reject autocracy, aren't chaotic enough to deal with democracy). Meanwhile, even though individualists empathise the "radiant genius of individuals", they don't deal well with autocracy and instead lean towards democracy (aren't driven enough to reject democracy, aren't compliant enough to to deal with autocracy).

In mechanical terms, collectivists tolerate the idea of slavery, while individualists do not. Collectivists consume less Food, while individualists gain bonuses to Energy production and suffer more ethics divergence, resulting in more factions in mid to late game. Each of the two also have access to unique colonization technologies (determined by the ethos of the scientist employed), with collectivists focusing on reducing ethics divergence even further, and individualists focusing on more rapid expansion.

Type	Effects	Description
Fanatic Collectivist	+100% slavery tolerance -10% food consumption	The purpose of the individual is simple; strengthen the collective. To enter the blackness of space we move as one, and we shall not be weakened by wanton separatism.
Collectivist	+50% slavery tolerance -5% food consumption	Society has long since evolved past the insignificant rivalries and concerns of individuals. We are numerous but one, and the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
Individualist	+10% energy -50% slavery tolerance +5% ethics divergence	Community is a means to an end, not the end itself. Only by empowering the individual to reach their maximum potential do we achieve true freedom. Freedom of thought, of speech, of movement, of trade.
Fanatic Individualist	+20% energy -100% slavery tolerance +10% ethics divergence	We must recognize that "society" is but a convenient fiction, the by-product of individuals working toward parallel, overlapping, and contradictory goals. As it should be.

Xenophobe - Xenophile

The xenophobe - xenophile dichotomy looks at the acceptance of 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 aliens, though will never accept them as equals.

Type	Effects	Description
Fanatic Xenophobe	-20 relations +100% alien slavery tolerance	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	-10 relations +50% alien slavery tolerance	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 relations	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 relations	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.

Militarist - Pacifist

The militarist - pacifist dichotomy looks at the merit of war.

Militarists consider that aggression is needed to obtain what is required and wars are thus viewed as glorious. In contrast, pacifists believe that violence breeds hatred and that friendly cooperation between different empires brings forth more long-term benefit than undignified bloodshed.

It is important to note that pacifists are also restricted in their policies: they cannot employ anything beyond the lightest type of orbital bombardment, and are unable to invade or even (peacefully) settle upon the worlds of primitive sentients for direct study.

Militarists and Pacifists will have a hard time allying with each other due to -20 "differing war philosophy" modifier.

Type	Effects	Description
Fanatic Militarist	+50% rivalry influence gain +100% alliance influence cost +20% army damage +10% war happiness	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	+25% rivalry influence gain +50% alliance influence cost +10% army damage +5% war happiness	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% food -10% war happiness +1 (unrecognized string “maximum embassies” for Template:Icon) maximum embassies -25% rivalry influence gain -10% army damage	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% food -20% war happiness +2 (unrecognized string “maximum embassies” for Template:Icon) maximum embassies -50% rivalry influence gain -20% army damage	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.

Materialist - Spiritualist

The materialist - spiritualist dichotomy looks at the nature of the being and reality in general.

Materialists disregard superstition, considering that life has no intrinsic meaning outside their own reality and that the only true purpose is what they make it. In contrast, spiritualists believe that consciousness surpasses reality and that their temporary, mortal bodies, subjected to the cruel and hard reality of the universe, are only a means to improve themselves spiritually in anticipation of their future ascension to higher planes of existence.

Materialists get useful bonuses to all research output, and receive no penalty to happiness for employing certain technologies. Spiritualists, while having higher base happiness, will suffer happiness penalties for adopting policies involving the use of robotics or genetic enhancement of leadership. Materialists are also unable to access psionics research by default, while Spiritualists have the same issue with robotics (though both can still obtain them as research alternatives by employing a scientist with the proper expertise).

Type	Effects	Description
Fanatic Materialist	+10% phy +10% soc +10% eng	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	+5% phy +5% soc +5% eng	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	+5% happiness	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	+10% happiness	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'.

Ethics divergence

As your population settles foreign worlds, individual POPs might break away from the dominant ethical beliefs of your empire. They might opt for ideas that are directly counter to your prevailing ethical program, or might take a stand on issues for which your empire has not made any ethical choice. This is called Ethical Divergence. If a pop has a net positive ethics divergence, they are more likely to stray away from the empire's ethos, while a net negative ethics divergence makes pops more likely to convert to the empire's ethos, if they do not already match it. At the moment, and confirmed by Dev Diary #33, ethos go towards neutrality, instead of diverting to new ethos.

Ethical Divergence is much more likely in an Individualist society, and species with the Conformist trait are much less likely to diverge. In many ways, Ethically Divergent Pops are similar to aliens that have migrated to or been conquered by your empire in that they are likely to be less happy than your core population and are more likely to start a faction or agitate for autonomy or independence.

Note: Ethical divergence affects only Pops. It will not change the Ethos of your Empire, which is maintained as a baseline for the divergence to act relative to.

Edicts

Name	Type	Effect	Requirements	Description
Reeducation Campaigns	Basic Edict	-10% ethics divergence	is not Fanatic Collectivist	This edict creates local reeducation campaigns, affirming that dissent is naught but the product of ignorance and a failure of reason.
Social Engineering	Fanatic Edict	-15% ethics divergence	Fanatic Collectivist	This fanatic collectivist edict mandates the use of subtle social instruments to reinforce our governing ethics on the planet.
Encourage Free Thought	Empire Edict	+15% ethics divergence +10% research speed		This edict encourages the populace to always challenge conventional wisdom, even if the path taken may lead them astray.
Information Quarantine	Empire Edict	-10% ethics divergence -5% research speed		This edict puts strict checks on the flow of information, better preserving local cultural identities.

Buildings

Name	Type	Effect	Requirements
Lythuric Atmospheric Manipulator	Strategic	-10% ethics divergence	Lythuric Gas Planetary Administration (or better) on the planet
Grand Mausoleum	Ethos & Government	-10% ethics divergence	Is divine mandate or transcendent empire Planetary administration (or better) on the planet Can only be build once per ruler
Virtual Combat Arena	Ethos & Government	+5% happiness -10% ethics divergence +10% army damage	Is Militarist or Fanatic Militarist Virtual combat simulations Planetary administration (or better) on the planet Planetary Unique
Ministry of Benevolence	Ethos & Government	-10% ethics divergence	Is Collectivist or Fanatic Collectivist Galactic benevolence Empire capital-complex on the planet Empire Unique
Orbital Mind Control Laser	Spaceport	-30% ethics divergence	Spaceport level 5 Will to Power
Reassembled Ship Shelter	Capital	+20% ethics divergence

Happiness

Name	Happiness	Ethics Divergence
Joyful	90 or greater	-20%
Happy	80 - 89	-10%
Content	50 - 79
Unhappy	35 - 49	+10%
Angry	20 - 34	+20%
Outraged	19 or less	+30%

Research

Name	Category	Effect	Prerequisites	Description
Frontier Commissars	New Worlds	+25% colony development speed -20% ethics divergence	Frontier Collectives Is Collectivist or Fanatic Collectivist.	"Studies indicate that strict social control may be integral to the continued resilience of young colonies."

Governments

Name	Effect	Requirements	Description
Theocratic Republic	-10% ethics divergence	Has Spiritualist or Fanatic Spiritualist Does NOT have Collectivist Does NOT have Fanatic Collectivist	"This government is a spiritualistic form of democracy, where a religious council supervises the democratic process and serves in an advisory role."
Theocratic Oligarchy	-10% ethics divergence	Has Spiritualist or Fanatic Spiritualist Does NOT have Collectivist Does NOT have Fanatic Collectivist	"This government is a spiritualistic form of oligarchy, where a divinely guided council made up of clergy controls the state. No division exists between the state and the dominant organized religion."

Ethics

Name	Effect	Description
Individualist	+5% ethics divergence	Community is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Only by empowering the individual to reach their maximum potential do we achieve true freedom.
Fanatic Individualist	+10% ethics divergence	We must recognize that "society" is but a convenient fiction, the by-product of individuals working toward parallel, overlapping, and contradictory goals. As it should be.