This article considers the multifaceted concept of ethics and how, despite being a familiar notion within education, it is still much contested within literature and professional practice. Drawing on postmodern, feminist and political literature, the authors explore (re)conceptualisations of ethics and ethicality in relation to ethical identity, professionalism and practice. Applying philosophical and metaphorical tools, such as the rhizome and nomad (Deleuze and Guattari, 1987), the authors suggest there is the potential to accommodate the multiple and often divergent facets of ethics, thereby engaging with different ethical possibilities. It is argued that the propensity for reducing ethics to merely procedural protocols and guidelines marginalises the richness of ethics and, all too frequently, leaves practitioners ill-equipped to navigate the reality of day-to-day ethics.

The article is positioned within the field of early years (EY) practice and training EY practitioners. This reflects the authors’ own specialism but also celebrates the propensity of the EY practitioner to reflect upon, question and challenge their own practice and ethical identities. This does not reduce the applicability of the subject matter which is relevant to educators of children of any age. The term ‘practitioner’ is used throughout to refer to any adult working with children in an educative role, this includes, but is not limited to nursery nurses, teachers or teaching assistants.

本文考虑了伦理学的多方面概念，以及尽管在教育中是一个熟悉的概念，但它在文学和专业实践中仍然存在很多争议。作者借鉴后现代，女权主义和政治文学，探讨了与道德认同，专业和实践有关的伦理和道德观念的（再）概念化。作者运用哲学和隐喻工具，例如根茎和游牧（Deleuze and Guattari，1987），认为存在着容纳伦理学的多个且常常是不同的方面的潜力，从而具有不同的伦理学可能性。有人认为，将伦理学简化为仅程序性的协议和准则的倾向使伦理学的丰富性处于边缘地位，并且，过于频繁地，

本文位于早期（EY）练习和培训EY从业者的领域内。这既反映了作者自身的专长，又赞扬了安永实践者反思，质疑和挑战自己的实践和道德身份的倾向。这不会降低与任何年龄的儿童的教育者有关的主题的适用性。术语“从业人员”在整个使用中指的是与儿童一起从事教育工作的任何成年人，包括但不限于托儿所的护士，教师或助教。