Morals vs. Ethics Current Issues - LHS

What Are Morals and Ethics? MORALS are principles or habits with respect to right or wrong conduct Morals define how things should work, according to an individuals’ ideals & principles ETHICS are the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc. (lawyers, doctors, cops, etc) Ethics define how things are, according to the rules

Morals vs. Ethics Where do they come from? – Morals = individual (internal) – Ethics = social system (external) Why do we have them? – Morals = Because we believe in something being right or wrong! – Ethics = Because society says it is the right thing to do! Ex – medical ethics don’t change from hospital to hospital, but are different from a lawyer’s ethics

Morals vs. Ethics What if we don’t follow them? – Morals = depends; for people with strong morals, it may cause them to feel uncomfortable, remorseful, depressed, etc. – Ethics = we may face peer or societal disapproval, or be fired from our job or lose a license to practice a profession

Morals vs. Ethics How flexible are they? – Morals are usually consistent, although they could change if an individual’s belief’s change – Ethics are dependent on others for definition; they tend to be consistent within a certain context but can vary depending upon context

Morals vs. Ethics What is the “gray” area between morals & ethics? – A moral person, although perhaps bound by some sort of higher covenant (let’s say religious), may nevertheless follow a code of ethics that conflicts with their morals (ex – lawyer’s morals = murder is wrong, but their ethics require them to defend an accused murderer) – A person strictly following an ethical system may not have any morals at all – Likewise, one may violate their ethical principles within a given set of rules in order to maintain their moral integrity

Morals vs. Ethics Who determines acceptability? – Morals transcend cultural norms – religious based, for example – Ethics are governed by professional and legal guidelines within a particular time and place Ex – medical ethics of the early 20 th C. are different than those of the 21 st C.