Modern day ethicists employed at universities do not, generally speaking, found their beliefs within a traditional religious framework. They do not believe in a

Modern day ethicists employed at universities do not, generally speaking, found their beliefs within a traditional religious framework. They do not believe in an afterlife and punishment by an all-knowing God. Therefore, as long as they are not caught, it is of no import to them if they break the ethical systems that they analyse, because they, much more than Marx's 'masses', know that the ethical systems they study have neither foundations in reality nor a means of enforcement. To them, we are evolved apes who, by a process of physical and psychological evolution, have developed a culture of imaginary rights and wrongs that say you should not, e.g. steal. However, they believe that they will derive some positive benefit by stealing and so simply do so knowing, in their minds, that there is no authentic reason not to.