Although philosophers have searched persistently throughout history for a normative ethical system on which people could and should base their conduct, there is still no single, non-controversial foundation on which the entire structure of ethics can be built. This paper recommends that a scientific ethics approach would be best for the present and the future. It is argued that initially we do not provide an adequate means whereby the young person can bridge the gap between an implicit, developing ethical sense and what will in maturity be regarded as a sounder, more explicit approach to the making of ethical decisions. The scientific ethics approach is applied to the amateur-professional controversy in sport as an example of how it could assist our evolving democratic society today.