How is a person's morals different from his ethics?

Question

I know the two words are somewhat similar, but I want to know what distinguishes them. An example might be nice, too.

Answer 1

ethics is the specific steps you take to maintain your morals.

An example would be morals are general conduct and ethics are specific actions. If it is against my morals to steal, then it would be unethical of me to rob a bank.

Answer 2

A persons ethics pertain to what they find acceptible to their own judgement. Whereas their morals are what they were taught by their parents as wrong or right (a person may do something they know is wrong but for a good cause). Or is it the other way around? The paradox here is that an action can be both morally wrong but ethically correct. For example it is morally wrong to kill a child but if that child could some way contribute to the deaths of millions of people, (say if the child is carrying a new leathal disease for which there is no cure, or will grow up to be someone like Hitler) it is ethically correct to painlessly end this childs life.

Answer 3

Interesting question. I would hazard a guess something like 'the person's morals are an expression of their ethics.' It would be reasonable to except that in a normal person - that is, someone capable of a degree of self-analysis and without a disjunct between what they say and what they do - then there will be a very close overlap between their morals and their ethics; but the word 'ethics' feels slightly more abstract and global, whereas 'morals' feels more practical.

So I might say: 'Ethically, I respect human life; therefore morally I am against the death penalty.'

It occurs to me that some ethical statements might not translate quite so easily into a moral statement - for example I might say 'Ethically I believe in a scientific approach to problem-solving,' but that's such a hair-splitting distinction that I wouldn't care to have to defend it.

I hope that helps. It's certainly made interesting food for thought.

Answer 4

Morals are how you live your life by. It is what you deem right and wrong in life, society, etc.

Ethics are on a smaller scale. It is more like what you deem is appropriate in certain situations. (What may be inappropriate in one situation is not necessarily immoral in life and general society.) Like discussing sex, religion, politics or how much you get paid at the work place is concidered bad work ethics. But discussing those things in general to your friends or family, for example, isn't necessarily immoral.

Answer 5

In relation to God, morality is defined as whether something is an abomination to the Lord, regardless of one's worldly association such as nationality.

Ethics are statutes laid down by society not by God. Thus taking into account worldly association, typically concepts regarding punishment or worldly judgment. Thus if something results in no consequences or punishment in a society it becomes deemed acceptable, such as abortion or homosexuality.

Answer 6

Morals are what you believe, ethics are how you act.

Answer 7

Values are the rules by which we make decisions about right and wrong, should and shouldn't, good and bad. They also tell us which are more or less important, which is useful when we have to trade off meeting one value over another.

Morals have a greater social element to values and tend to have a very broad acceptance. Morals are far more about good and bad than other values. We thus judge others more strongly on morals than values. A person can be described as immoral, yet there is no word for them not following values.

Answer 8

Excellent question, I look forward to some enlightening answers from people smarter than me! :-)

Answer 9

well it's cmplicated......