Ethics

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Please help with verifying or updating older sections of this article. At least some were last verified for version 4.1.

This article is for the PC version of Stellaris only.

Ethics selection interface

Ethics represent an empire or pop's core ideological beliefs and determine an empire or pop's favored courses of action and responses to situations. Empires and individual populations don't always align ethically, and this can cause internal strife in large nations. AI empires 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. Empires with similar ethics are more likely to have good relations with one another and ally each other, while ones with opposing ethics are more likely to engage in hostilities. AI empires will, however, compromise on their ethics if circumstances are dire enough, for instance, if threatened with imminent conquest or during an ongoing Crisis or War in Heaven.

Every empire except Fallen Empires must have either three moderate ethics or one fanatic and one moderate ethic, or be Gestalt Consciousness. Fallen Empires have only one fanatic ethic. Pops have only one moderate ethic each.

Empire ethics[edit | edit source]

Please help with verifying or updating this section. It was last verified for version 4.0.

Each empire has 3 ethic points which must all be spent. Moderate ethics cost 1 point and Fanatic ethics cost 2 points. Thus an empire must have either one fanatic and one moderate or three moderate ethics.

Gestalt Consciousness is the ethic for hive mind and machine empires without individual agency. It costs 3 ethic points and requires a DLC that unlocks either Hive Mind ( Utopia or BioGenesis) or Machine Intelligence authority ( Synthetic Dawn or The Machine Age).

An empire's ethics often determine which options are available for events, policies, and many other actions. As a result, ethics choices have a greater impact on game experience than simply the bonuses and maluses listed on this page.

Not counting Gestalt Consciousness, there are 16 ethics arranged on 4 axes. Only one ethic from each axis can be selected.

• The Authoritarian — Egalitarian axis looks at whether the empire's political power belongs in the hands of the few or the many.
• The Spiritualist — Materialist axis looks at whether the key to uncover the truths of the universe is mysticism or science.
• The Militarist — Pacifist axis looks at whether the empire's military should be used offensively or strictly defensively.
• The Xenophile — Xenophobe axis looks at whether alien species and cultures should be embraced or distrusted.

Fanatic Spiritualist 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'. +20% Monthly unity −20% Edict cost −20% Edict upkeep Expand Principles Can use the Veneration of Saints edict Can build Temple buildings Cannot use Citizen Rights AI policy Increased Attunement with Composer of Strands		Fanatic Militarist 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... −20% Claim influence cost +20% Ship fire rate Expand Principles Can use the No Retreat War Doctrine Cannot use Defensive Wars policy Increased Attunement with Eater of Worlds		Fanatic Xenophobe 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... −40% Starbase influence cost +20% Pop growth or assembly speed Pop growth speed Mechanical pop assembly speed Expand Principles Can use the Fear Campaign edict Decreased Opinion with alien empires Can Purge and Displace aliens Can enslave aliens Can use Livestock slavery Cannot grant aliens Full Citizenship Cannot grant aliens Full Military Service Cannot use Refugees Welcome Refugees policy Cannot use Proactive First Contact Protocol policy Increased Attunement with Eater of Worlds
	Spiritualist 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. +10% Monthly unity −10% Edict cost −10% Edict upkeep Expand Principles Can use the Veneration of Saints edict Can build Temple buildings Cannot use Citizen Rights AI policy Increased Attunement with Composer of Strands	Militarist 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. −10% Claim influence cost +10% Ship fire rate Expand Principles Can use the No Retreat War Doctrine Increased Attunement with Eater of Worlds	Xenophobe 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... −20% Starbase influence cost +10% Pop growth or assembly speed Pop growth speed Mechanical pop assembly speed Expand Principles Can use the Fear Campaign edict Decreased Opinion with alien empires Can Purge and Displace aliens Can enslave aliens Can use Livestock slavery Cannot grant aliens Full Citizenship Cannot grant aliens Full Military Service Cannot use Refugees Welcome Refugees policy Cannot use Proactive First Contact Protocol policy Increased Attunement with Eater of Worlds
Fanatic Authoritarian 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. +1 Monthly influence +10% Worker job output Expand Principles Can use the Information Quarantine edict Allows Stratified Economy Living Standards Can enslave aliens Must use Autocratic authority Increased Attunement with Instrument of Desire	Authoritarian 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. +0.5 Monthly influence +5% Worker job output Expand Principles Can use the Information Quarantine edict Allows Stratified Economy Living Standards Can enslave aliens Cannot use Democratic authority Increased Attunement with Instrument of Desire	Gestalt Consciousness We reach into the void. The vast expanse becomes us. −20% War exhaustion gain +1 Monthly influence +2 Encryption Cannot change ethics Expand Principles Must use Hive Mind, Machine Intelligence or Mutualistic Intelligence authority, and cannot change authority Can use the No Retreat War Doctrine Factions cannot form Gestalt Pops use different strata Gestalt Pops are not affected by happiness Increased Attunement with Cradle of Souls	Egalitarian 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. +25% Faction unity gain +5% Specialist job output Expand Principles Can use the Encourage Political Thought edict Allows Utopian Living Standards Cannot use Capacity Boosters Leader Enhancement policy Cannot use Autocratic authority Increased Attunement with Composer of Strands	Fanatic Egalitarian 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. +50% Faction unity gain +10% Specialist job output Expand Principles Can use the Encourage Political Thought edict Allows Utopian Living Standards Cannot use Selected Lineages or Capacity Boosters Leader Enhancement policies Must use Democratic authority Increased Attunement with Composer of Strands
	Xenophile 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. +10% Trade from jobs +1 Available envoys +50% Observation insights progress Expand Principles Can use the Land of Opportunity edict Increased Opinion with alien empires Cannot use Population Controls Enabled species rights Cannot Displace aliens Cannot use No Refugees Refugees policy Cannot use Aggressive Interference Pre-FTL Interference policy Cannot use Hunted or Extermination Pre-sapients policy Cannot use Aggressive First Contact Protocol policy Increased Attunement with Cradle of Souls	Pacifist 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. −15% Empire size from pops +5 Stability Expand Principles Can use the Peace Festivals edict Cannot use Unrestricted Wars War Philosophy policy Cannot use Aggressive Interference Pre-FTL Interference policy Cannot engage in Indiscriminate Orbital Bombardment Cannot use Aggressive First Contact Protocol policy Increased Attunement with Cradle of Souls	Materialist 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. −10% Robot upkeep +5% Research speed Expand Principles Allows Academic Privilege living standards Cannot use Outlawed AI policy Cannot use Outlawed Robotic Workers policy Increased Attunement with Instrument of Desire
Fanatic Xenophile 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. +20% Trade from jobs +2 Available envoys +100% Observation insights progress Expand Principles Can use the Land of Opportunity edict Increased Opinion with alien empires Cannot use Population Controls Enabled species rights Cannot Displace aliens Cannot use No Refugees Refugees policy Cannot use Aggressive Interference Pre-FTL Interference policy Cannot use Hunted or Extermination Pre-Sapients policy Cannot use Aggressive First Contact Protocol policy Increased Attunement with Cradle of Souls		Fanatic Pacifist 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. −30% Empire size from pops +10 Stability Expand Principles Can use the Peace Festivals edict Must use Defensive Wars War Philosophy policy Cannot use Aggressive Interference Pre-FTL Interference policy Cannot engage in Indiscriminate Orbital Bombardment Cannot use Aggressive First Contact Protocol policy Increased Attunement with Cradle of Souls		Fanatic Materialist 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! −20% Robot upkeep +10% Research speed Expand Principles Allows Academic Privilege living standards Cannot use Outlawed AI policy Cannot use Outlawed Robotic Workers policy Increased Attunement with Instrument of Desire

Ethics bonus outputs[edit | edit source]

Each ethic brings with it unique bonuses that are applied to either pops, planets, or empires when an empire monument is built, with Fanatic ethics granting twice as much of their corresponding base bonus.

Pop ethics[edit | edit source]

Each pop in an empire will embrace a single, moderate ethic, which determines the Faction a pop will eventually join. At the start of the game the population's ethics will match the empire ethics but as an 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. Hovering over a pop's ethic will display the attraction towards all ethics.

Over time, the ethics of the empire's population will drift in such a way that it roughly matches the overall attraction value for each ethic. For example, if the spiritualist attraction remains stable at 25-20% for a century then over the course of that century (assuming no other factors are at play) around 25-20% of all pops will gradually become spiritualist. There is some random factor to it so the ethics attraction value and representation percentage is likely never going to match up perfectly, but the system will always trend 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. Raising an ethic's attraction value will thus logically cause pops to be drawn to it over time.

The following attraction factors are valid for all ethics at all times:

Multiplier	Factor
0×0	Hive-Minded
0×0	Non-regular empire (gestalt, fallen empire etc.) that doesn't have the ethic, except pre-FTLs subject to Offer Societal Guidance
×20	Pre-FTL empire while an empire of that fanatic ethic is using Offer Societal Guidance
×10	Pre-FTL empire while an empire of that moderate ethic is using Offer Societal Guidance
0×3	Empire has the ethic in fanatic form
0×2	Empire has the ethic in moderate form
0×2	Empire does not have the ethic and a faction representing it has formed
0×2	Subject loyal to an overlord that has the ethic in fanatic form
0×1.5	Subject loyal to an overlord that has the ethic in moderate form
0×1.5	Stately Acclaim edict and a faction of that ethic is being extorted
0×1.5	Planetary governor has the ethic
0×1.25	Sector governor has the ethic (and planet has no governor)
0×0.8	Sector governor has the opposite ethic (and planet has no governor)
0×0.75	Planetary governor has the opposite ethic
0.0+10%	Per councillor with the ethic

Note that pops, including enslaved pops, in a Gestalt Consciousness empire will thus not experience ethics drift, but conquered Machine pops in a regular empire will, if they are sapient. Nor will Hive-Minded pops in a non-Hive Mind empire drift to other ethics unless they are assimilated (and thus lose the Hive-Minded trait).

Each ethic has its own multitude of factors that will increase or lower its attraction. The percentage factors listed below are additive with each other, but multiplicative with other factors. A robotic species is any with a robot archetype (i.e. portrait).

ExpandAuthoritarian — Egalitarian0
Attraction	Requirement	Attraction
1.50	Member of a Hegemony federation	1
1.50	Pop is not robotic or enslaved, and another pop of this species on the planet is enslaved	1
30%	Per Authoritarian empire sharing a Defensive Pact or Federation	1
1.25	Pop is Decadent	0.50
1.25	No pops of this species on the planet are enslaved, and a non-robotic alien pop is enslaved	1
1.25	Pop has Stratified Society living standard and is not Worker strata or enslaved	1
1.25	Pop has Dystopian Society living standard, is Ruler strata and is not enslaved	1
1.2	Pop has Full Citizenship and another sapient pop on the planet has neither Full Citizenship nor Slavery citizenship	1
1.25	Empire has no elections	0.75
0.75	Empire has democratic elections	1.25
0.75	Empire is not Authoritarian and pop has Utopian Abundance, Social Welfare, Shared Burdens or Employee Ownership living standards	1.25
1	Pop does not have Full Citizenship	1.25
1	All sapient non-robotic species in the empire have Full Citizenship	1.25
1	Per Egalitarian empire sharing a Defensive Pact, Commercial Pact or Federation	+30%
1	Pop is enslaved, and is not robotic	1.50
1	Per non-subject Egalitarian empire with migration access	+50%

ExpandMilitarist — Pacifist0
Attraction	Requirement	Attraction
3.00	Planet is occupied	1
2.00	At war	1
2.00	Has a truce from losing a war	1
2.00	Another empire controls a planet the empire was the original owner of	1
1.50	Member of a Martial Alliance	1
1.50	A neighbor is hostile, domineering or a rival	1
1.25	A neighbor is a rival and has Superior relative fleet power	1
1.20	Pop is Very Strong	1
1.10	Pop is Strong	1
1	Has Fanatic Purifiers civic	0.50
1	Has Unrestricted Wars policy	0.75
0.75	Has Defensive Wars policy	1
0.75	Pop is Weak	1.10
1	Per Non-Aggression Pact	+20%
0.75	Has been at peace for over 20 years (After year 2250)	1.33
0.75	Has been at peace for over 40 years (After year 2250)	1.33
0.75	Has been at peace for over 60 years	1.33
0.75	Has been at peace for over 80 years	1.33
0.75	Has been at peace for over 100 years	1.33
0.33	Has Inward Perfection civic	1.50

ExpandSpiritualist — Materialist0
Attraction	Requirement	Attraction
2	Pop has a Cybernetic Creed trait	1
1.50	Regular empire and has committed to psionic ascension[1]	1
1.50	Regular empire with the Great Awakening tradition	1
1.50	Member of a Holy Covenant	1
+30%	Per non-subject Spiritualist empire sharing a Federation, Defensive Pact or Commercial Pact	0
1.20	Member of a level 2 Holy Covenant with an Official assigned to it	1
+20%	Per non-subject Spiritualist empire with migration access	0
1.20	Has an Official assigned to a Level 2 Holy Covenant	1
1.20	Pop is Psionic	1
1.10	Has Psionic Theory technology	1
1.10	Pop is Latent Psionic	1
1	Pop has Priest category job or Mortal Initiate job	0.10
0.75	Has Artificial Intelligence policy set to Citizen Rights	1.25
1	Has Artificial Intelligence policy set to Citizen Rights and is not an individualist machine empire	1.25
1	Origin is Mechanist	1.25
1	Not an individualist machine empire, pop is not a robot but robot pops live on the planet	1.25
1	Pop has trait Natural Engineers	1.25
1	Pop has trait Natural Physicists	1.25
1	Pop has trait Natural Sociologists	1.25
1	Per Materialist empire sharing a Research Agreement	+25%
1	Per Materialist empire sharing a Federation, Defensive Pact or Commercial Pact or (unless a subject) with migration access	+30%
1	Member of a Research Cooperative	1.50
1	Pop is Cybernetic	1.50
0.25	Pop is robotic and empire is not an individualistic Machine empire	2.00

ExpandXenophobe — Xenophile0
Attraction	Requirement	Attraction
4.00	Has the opinion modifier "Purged Our Species" towards another empire[2]	0.25
3.00	Has the opinion modifier "Genocidal" towards another empire[3]	0.35
3.00	In a defensive war against an alien empire	1
2.00	In contact with an alien empire that has enslaved a pop of the empire's non-robotic founder species	0.50
2.00	Pop is not enslaved or being purged and an enslaved alien non-robotic pop is on the planet	1
1.50	Repugnant alien pop is present on the planet	1
1.50	Noxious alien pop is present on the planet	1
1.50	Has Fanatic Purifiers civic	0.5
1.50	Has Inward Perfection civic	0.5
+25%	Per neighbouring genocidal empire	1
1	Pop is Necrophage	0.50
1	Planet has a Xeno-Outreach Agency branch office building	1.10
1	Per Defensive Pact, Commercial Pact or Federation with an alien empire	+20%
−20%	Per non-subject alien empire with migration access	+30%
1	Charismatic alien pop is present on the planet	1.50
0.75	Empire allows alien leaders	1.50
1	Pop is an alien, does not have Full Citizenship and is not enslaved	2.00
0.50	Pop is not enslaved or being purged and any pop on the planet is sapient, alien, not robotic, and not enslaved or being purged	1
1	Pop is not enslaved and any pop on the planet is sapient, alien, not robotic or Serviles, and not enslaved or being purged	2

Governing ethics attraction[edit | edit source]

Governing ethics attraction is a modifier that attracts pops towards the primary ethics of an empire rather than unrelated ethics. As the factions corresponding to the governing ethics tend to have more faction approval, having pops match those ethics to join those factions is desirable, as low faction approval results in a happiness penalty for pops of that faction's ethic. The main factor that determines governing ethics attraction is the happiness of pops – each percentage point of happiness above or below 50 adds the same amount of governing ethics attraction. In addition, an empire's governing ethics attraction can be affected by the following:

ExpandGoverning ethics attraction (empire)0
Source	Effect
Hearts and Minds edict	+100%
Dictatorial Indoctrination authority	+100%
One Vision ascension perk	+50%
Information Quarantine edict	+50%
State Driven Sensory Censorship empire modifier	+50%
Divine Sovereign civic	+25%
Thought Enforcement edict	+25%
Isolationist diplomatic stance	+25%
The Greater Good tradition	+25%
Propagandosphere relic	+25%
Primordial Dragonslayers empire modifier	+20%
Full Circle empire modifier	+20%
Goes Around, Comes Around empire modifier	+20%
Spurred by the Past empire modifier	+10%
The Gains of Freedom empire modifier	+10%
Unified Thought empire modifier	+10%
Democratic Surrogacy authority	−25%
Democratic Transference authority	−25%
Consumer Goods minor deficit	−25%
Consumer Goods major deficit	−50%
Consumer Goods severe deficit	−75%
Consumer Goods catastrophic deficit	−100%

ExpandGoverning ethics attraction (species)0
Source	Effect
Clone Soldier trait	+50%
Clone Soldier Ascendant trait	+50%
Synthetic Salvation trait	+50%
Conformists trait	+30%
Conservative trait	+25%
Clone Soldier Descendant trait	+20%
Deviants trait	−15%

Changing ethics[edit | edit source]

Empire ethics can be changed once every 10 years by embracing a faction. Embracing a faction causes an ethic shift towards the faction's ethic – adding it or elevating it into fanatic. Whenever an empire shifts its ethics, all other empires in communication receive a notification. Other ethics are demoted or removed to maintain the total ethic points at 3. When AI empires change their ethics, they may also change their empire name to reflect this.

Ethics	Shifting to	Result	Explanation
	New ethic		Add in the new ethic Remove existing ethic with lowest attraction Otherwise demote existing fanatic ethic to moderate
	Existing ethic		Elevate relevant existing ethic to fanatic Demote previous existing fanatic ethic to moderate Otherwise remove existing ethic with lowest attraction
	Opposite ethic		Add in the new ethic Remove existing opposing ethic altogether If opposing ethic was moderate, add in the new ethic If opposing ethic was fanatic, then also elevate the other existing ethic to fanatic
represents the ethic with the lowest attraction

An effective tactic to ensure a particular ethic has the lowest attraction, and thus will be removed, is to suppress it and promote other factions while the game is paused, shift ethics and then undo the suppression and promotions before unpausing.

Notes[edit | edit source]

• Managing pop ethics is actually quite important for ensuring stability within large and diverse empires, particularly when it comes to recently conquered or integrated planets. Pops will follow a certain ethic, which determines what faction they will join, which in turn affects their happiness, which then influences their approval rating which is finally used to determine the planet's stability.
  • Low stability can cause all manner of problems, from penalties to resource production and job output to crime, Unrest and outright rebellion, and to prevent this and stabilize the planet, one must deal with the underlying problems that cause it, which (as detailed above) most often originates from pop ethics.
  • Pops with a high value of individual political power are especially important, since their individual ethics and happiness are the most influential in the above metric. This also means that altering a pop's political power in different ways will also alter how much of an impact they have on planetary stability.

References[edit | edit source]