Which ethical framework is founded on the belief of an inherent morality independent of societal norms?

The ethical framework that is founded on the belief of an inherent morality independent of societal norms is deontological ethics. This approach posits that certain actions are morally obligatory regardless of their consequences or the context surrounding them. Deontologists maintain that there are universal moral principles that apply to all individuals, irrespective of cultural or societal differences. This perspective emphasizes the importance of duties and rules in ethical decision-making, which stands in contrast to frameworks like utilitarianism, which evaluates the morality of actions based on their outcomes or the greatest good for the greatest number.

Additionally, relativism suggests that moral principles are shaped by cultural or societal contexts, while social contract theory examines the moral and political obligations of individuals based on an implicit agreement within a society. Each of these alternatives approaches ethics from different angles, but only deontological ethics holds that morality is objective and exists outside the influences of societal norms.