Character Building: Ethics vs Morals- Whats the Difference?

The study of ethics is a vast and complex subject. However, the core of ethics is simple because it deals with humanness, or human nature. Since we are in a human body, picking up on these things becomes more intuitive than intellectual as one internalizes the basic principles.

It goes like this, ethics is essentially never making another persons awareness, or consciousness hurt by your presence. Another should not feel burdened by your existence. We are able to control this effect on people by our morals. Ethics defined are external laws of right, wrong, good, bad ; and morals defined are an internal belief structure you have taken to be true, regarding right, wrong, good, and bad. An example of the distinction can be seen in law. A judge has to decide a ruling based on law ethics, but his morals, his internal believe structure, might feel differently. Ethical law says one thing, but something inside you conflicts, those are your morals.

Remembering the difference of ethics and morals is easy when we think about major societal controversies such as stem cell research, the death sentence, abortion, the list goes on and on. These external decisions society must make are broad regulations guiding the process of living on earth together, but they are controversial because people are guided internally by different moral views.

So if your are confronted externally in a situation, your ethical decision on how to act must come out, sometimes but not always guided by your morals, or your internal structure of what you believe to be the right way to act. The two may not always be equal, thus wisdom is the best judge. Know your audience and act accordingly.

 

I appreciate the review, Taqwa.

 

Absolutely. One of the nice things about this community is its refined. I let off an F bomb every now and then, but Its only pointed at PMO!

For me deeper thinking is a rising out of the PMO consciousness. If we can raise our intellect some, then we can out think the enemy.

“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” Sun Tzu