(Merriam Webster 2013)Ethics and morals are both used in the plural and are often regarded as
synonyms, but there is some distinction in how they are used. Morals often describes one's
particular values concerning what is right and what is wrong while Ethics are
external standards that are provided by institutions, groups, or culture to which an individual belongs. For
example, lawyers, policemen, and doctors all have to follow an ethical code
laid down by their profession, regardless of their own feelings or preferences. Ethics can also be considered
a social system or a framework for acceptable behavior. Morals are also influenced
by culture or society, but they are personal principles created and upheld by individuals
themselves
(R.C. Sproul
2015 [AL1] ) The English word “ethics” comes
from the Greek word ethos. The
word morals or morality comes from the word mores. The difference is that the ethos of a society or culture deals with its foundational
philosophy, its concept of values, and its system of understanding how the
world fits together. There is a philosophical value system that is the ethos of every culture in the world.
On the other hand, mores has to
do with the customs, habits, and normal forms of behavior that are found within
a given culture.
(Surbhi
S 2015) Much of the confusion between
these two words can be traced back to their origins. For example, the word
"ethic" comes from Old French (etique),
Late Latin (ethica), and Greek
(ethos) and referred to customs
or moral philosophies. "Morals" comes from Late Latin's moralis, which referred to
appropriate behavior and manners in society. So, the two have very similar, if
not synonymous, meanings originally. Morality and ethics of the individual have
been philosophically
studied for well
over a thousand years. The idea of ethics being principles that are set and
applied to a group (not necessarily focused on the individual) is relatively
new, though, primarily dating back to the 1600s. The distinction between ethics
and morals is particularly important for philosophical ethicists. Ethics and morals relate to “right” and “wrong”
conduct. While they are sometimes used interchangeably, they are different: Ethics refer to rules provided by an
external source, for example, codes of conduct in workplaces or principles in
religions. Morals refer to an
individual’s own principles regarding right and wrong.
(Merriam
Webster 2013)The difference between ethics and morals can seem somewhat
arbitrary to many, but there is a basic, albeit subtle, difference. Morals
define personal character, while ethics stress a social system in which those
morals are applied. In other words, ethics point to standards or codes of behavior
expected by the group to which the individual belongs. This could be national
ethics, social ethics, company ethics, professional ethics, or even family ethics. So while a person’s
moral code is usually unchanging, the ethics he or she practices can be
other-dependent.[AL2]
When considering the difference
between ethics and morals, it may be helpful to consider a criminal defense
lawyer. Though the lawyer’s personal moral code likely finds murder
immoral and reprehensible, ethics demand the accused client be defended as
vigorously as possible, even when the lawyer knows the party is guilty and that
a freed defendant would potentially lead to more crime. Legal ethics
must override personal morals for the greater good of upholding a justice
system in which the accused are given a fair trial and the prosecution must
prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt[AL3] .
Some
lecture series include question and answer sessions in which members of the
audience can engage with the speaker to bring up specific questions and issues.
Some schools also have a campus ethics
curriculum, and they may require that their students take one or more ethics classes during the course of
their study.
Personal ethics is a category of philosophy that determines what an
individual believes about morality
and right and wrong. for example the Confucianism
idea which states that we should
respect our parents and ancestors to be
good and take care of them,show love, respect, courtesy and support and lastly
it says display sorrow for their sickness and death This is usually distinguished from business ethics or legal[AL4] ethics.
The
prosecution and court must also deal with the difference between ethics and
morals. In some cases past actions of the accused might resonate with the
current charge, but are kept out of evidence so as not to prejudice the jury.
In a sense, the prosecutor “lies by omission” in representing the case, never
revealing the prejudicial evidence. The same prosecutor, however, would likely
find it reprehensible to fail to tell a friend if her date had a potentially
dangerous or suspect history.
Another
area in which ethics and morals can clash is at the workplace where company
ethics can play against personal morality. Corporate greed that blurs its own
ethical lines coupled with unreasonable demands on time can lead to having to
choose between a stressful, demanding and consuming work ethic, and family
obligations seen as moral obligations to spouse and children. Conversely,
people lose jobs every day because of poor personal morals, employee theft
being a common reason for dismissal.[AL5]
In
society, we are all faced with the butting heads of ethics and morals. Abortion
is legal and therefore medically ethical, while many people find it personally
immoral. Fundamentalists, extremists, and even mainstream theists all have
different ideas about morality that impact each of our lives, even if
indirectly through social pressures or legal discrimination.
In
the case of homosexuality, many believe it is morally wrong, yet some of the
same people also believe it is unethical to discriminate legally against a
group of people by disallowing them the same rights afforded heterosexuals.
This is a plain example of ethics and morals at battle. Ethics and morals are
central issues as the world strives to overcome current challenges and
international crossroads. Hopefully, in the coming years, a growing
understanding will lead to peaceful and productive solutions.
Morals and ethics may seem to be
the same thing, but depending on the definition used, they have slight
differences in meaning. Morality can be the basis of ethics. The personal moral
compass of many people can decide how the majority of a society views something,
similar to the way numerous individual brushstrokes in a painting combine to
create an overall design. One example of this is the worldview held by
individuals and society that such actions as rape, theft and murder are wrong.
Strong personal convictions can
sometimes end up at odds with the accepted norm, however. Slavery, for example,
was widely accepted in many nations throughout history but the moral compass of
some individuals convinced them slavery wasn't right and so they took a stand
against it, sometimes even at the risk of their lives. At other times, the
disagreement is more subtle. Not everyone agrees with the viewpoint of their
society regarding such actions as adultery, recreational drug use or abortion.
What some condemn others may accept, or vice vesa. Morality and ethics, like
any philosophy, are subject to change over time.. Deeply held personal beliefs
usually stick with individuals throughout their life, but might change due to
profoundly positive or negative experiences. Some examples are ideas including
the importance of honor, honesty and hard work that children learn from parents
or other role models.
(www.annabelbeerel.com)
Aristotle states that
happiness isn’t physical pleasure, but harmonizing the mind with virtue. What
feels the best for the most is virtue. The intellectual and emotional parts of
the mind create intellectual and moral types of virtue. This virtue is
expressed from the mind by voluntary action.
Kant’s moral
philosophy proposes that practical reason in accordance with moral imperatives
should drive right actions. Duty should guide right action. Acting according to
what is willed to be universal law is the “Categorical Imperative” that should
guide behavior. Human beings are ends rather than the means to achieving the
happiest possible life.
Aristotle states that
a life of ultimate happiness and fulfillment is a life of solitary
contemplation. However, he suggests that this state of being can’t be realized
by mere mortals. He argues that the greatest happiness can be achieved by
following moral values to live a busy life of politics and public splendor
In
the first instance, ethics is called a normativescience;
it’s the study of norms or standards by which things are measured or evaluated.
Morality, on the other hand, is what we would call a descriptive science which is a method to describe the way things
operate or behave. Ethics are concerned with the imperative and morality is
concerned with the indicative. What do we mean by that? It means that ethics is
concerned with “ought-ness,” and morality is concerned with “is-ness.”
(R.C.
Sproul 2015)
Ethics is normative and imperative. It deals with what someone ought to do. Morality describes what
someone is actually doing, particularly as we understand it in light of our
Christian faith, and also in light of the fact that the two concepts are
confused, merged, and blended in our contemporary understanding.
What
has come out of the confusion of ethics and morality is the emergence of what
we call “statistical morality.” This is where the normal or regular becomes the
normative. Here’s how it works: to find out what is normal, we do a statistical
survey, we take a poll, or we find out what people are actually doing. For
example, suppose we find out that a majority of teenagers are using marijuana.
We then come to the conclusion that at this point in history, it is normal for
an adolescent to indulge in the use of marijuana. If it is normal, we deem it
to be good and right.
Ultimately,
the science of ethics is concerned with what is right, and morality is
concerned with what is accepted. In most societies, when something is accepted,
it is judged to be right. But oftentimes, this provokes a crisis for the
Christian. When the normal becomes the normative, The Christian concept of
ethics is on a collision course with much of what is being expressed as
morality. This is because we do not determine right or wrong based on what
everybody else is doing. For example, if we study the statistics, we will see
that all men at one time or another lie. That doesn’t mean that all men lie all
the time, but that all men have indulged in lying at some time or another. If
we look at that statistically, we would say that one hundred percent of people
indulge in dishonesty, and since it’s one hundred percent universal, we should
come to the conclusion that it’s perfectly normal for human beings to tell
lies. Not only normal, but perfectly human. If we want to be fully human, we
should encourage ourselves in the direction of lying. Of course, that’s what we
call a reductio ad absurdum
argument, where we take something to its logical conclusion and show the folly
of it. But that’s not what usually occurs in our culture. Such obvious problems
in developing a statistical morality are often overlooked. The Bible says that
we lean toward lying, and yet we are called to a higher standard. As
Christians, the character of God supplies our ultimate ethic, the ultimate
framework by which we discern what is right, good, and pleasing to Him
References
Shawn R. Beals, Courant Community, "Middletown Ethics
Merriam Webster 2013 the difference between ethics and
morality
The bible
[AL1]Only
the surname is needed
[AL2]Good
points
[AL3]Indicate
source please
[AL4]Quote
source of information
[AL5]Good
points
[AL6]Use the APA referencing system
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