Ethics and morals both relate to “right” and “wrong” conduct.
However, ethics refer to the series of rules provided to an individual by an external source.
On the other hand, morals refer to an individual’s own principles regarding right and wrong.
Ethics
>>The rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.
Social system — It defines how thing are according to the rules.
External source — Society says it is the right thing to do.
What if we don't do it? — We will face peer/societal disapproval, or even be fired from our job.
Flexibility — Ethics are dependent on others for definition. They tend to be consistent within a certain context, but can vary between contexts.
The "Gray" — A person following Ethical Principles my not have any Morals at all.
Morals
>>Principles or habits with respect to right or wrong conduct.
Individual system — It defines how things should work according to an individuals' ideals and principles.
Internal Source — Because we believe in something being right or wrong.
What if we don't do it? — Doing something against one's morals and principles can have different effects on different people, they may feel uncomfortable, remorse, depressed etc.
Flexibility — Usually consistent, although can change if an individual’s beliefs change.
The "Gray" — A Moral Person although perhaps bound by a higher covenant, may choose to follow a code of ethics as it would apply to a system.
Source of Principles
Ethics are external standards, provided by the 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 as a social system or a framework for acceptable behavior.
Morals on the other hand may also be influenced by culture or society, but they are personal principles created and upheld by the individuals themselves.
Consistency and Flexibility
Ethics are very consistent within a certain context, but can vary greatly between contexts.
For example — the ethics of the medical profession in the 21st century are generally consistent and do not change from hospital to hospital, but they are different from the ethics of the 21st century legal profession.
An individual’s moral code is usually unchanging and consistent across all contexts, but can change if the individual has a radical change in their personal beliefs and values.
For example — One professional example of ethics conflicting with morals is the work of a defense attorney. A lawyer’s morals may tell her that murder is reprehensible and that murderers should be punished, but her ethics as a professional lawyer, require her to defend the client to the best of her abilities, even if she knows that the client is guilty.
The following video discusses the ethical and moral dilemma faced by Captain Picard in an episode of Star Trek where he must choose whether to do nothing — in which case tens of thousands of people will die — or do something to save them but with a risk that millions of people will die.
Ethics are very consistent within a certain context, but can vary greatly between contexts.
One can also argue that this breakdown ignores reason in the formulation of ethics, preferring to emphasize the flawed 'external' and 'internal' paradigm, because morality is often imposed and moral laws absorbed from external sources, through religion, parents, and any figure or system that presents its authority over your actions as absolute.
For example — The Ten Commandments and the Categorical Imperatives are examples of absolute moral laws.
The argument being that Ethics, on one hand, invokes one's own capacity to weigh the merits of a situation in both its moral and pragmatic dimensions, and then to decide accordingly.
Morality is often discussed within the confines of religion and religiosity and theo-political terms. Ethics can be "situational" and individualized to "bent" to fit circumstances.
Morals are a rigid code of pre-circumscribed conduct and expectations.
I think it is safe to say that Ethics and Morality are defined by ones own paradigm, and relevant to individualism.
Ethics was originally the "school of philosophy" which set out to provide a reasoned explanation for Morality.
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