Ethics vs. Morality
What is Difference between Ethics and Morality? Ethics and morality seem to be the same on the surface, however if you analyze them, there are definitely some differences. That is, it can be ethical for someone to consume meat, after all there is no social code that is breaking, but at the same time, the same person may find the idea of killing an animal disgusting. Below this post is all about the difference between Ethics and Morality.
Difference between Ethics and Morality
This implies that ethics defines the code that a society or group of people adhere to while morality delves into good and evil at a much deeper level, which is personal and spiritual. The ethics to which a person adheres is also affected by external factors such as the nation, society, classmates, religion and profession, and could change according to any change in these factors that influence it.
For example, fox hunting in England was ethical until one day, because it was tradition and there was no law against it. However, recent legislation to ban it made it illegal, and general protests against the evil nature of sport caused the suspension of the tradition that supported it, and therefore became unethical. Morality, on the other hand, is shaped by something more severe and commonly does not change. For example, it will always be immoral to kill another human being, no matter who the person commits the act.
Ethics are well defined and carefully established. Take the case of professionals like doctors or lawyers. They know what the ethics of their professions dictate. A doctor never discloses your patient’s medical history to anyone other than the patient, unless authorized by the patient, or because the law requires it. In the same way, a lawyer never compromises the interests of his client in spite of his own disposition towards the client.
But morality is subliminal in nature and deciding what constitutes is not easy. We know the moral dilemma, but not the ethical one. Take the case of abortion. Is it moral? On the one hand there are extremely convincing motives in their favor, but the loss of a human life, even if it is not fully formed, would be considered as a moral act?
Following ethics is therefore a relatively easy matter; after all it only includes a group of socially accepted guidelines that benefit everyone. Morality, however, is very difficult to follow. The religious sect of the Jainos in India believes that the only things human beings can consume are the leaves and fruits that fall from the trees. Grains, dairy products, eggs, or meat are not consumed. They should cover their mouths and noses with a piece of cloth so as not to kill the microscopic organisms by the mere act of breathing. That is a very difficult moral to follow!
We can clearly see that ethics and morality although at first glance seem similar are in fact very different. While the first constitutes a basic human indicator of behavior and correct behavior, the second is rather a group of guidelines that define practices and behaviors accepted by a certain group of people.
Summary:
- Ethics is related to a society while morality is related to an individual person.
- Ethics is more related to professional life while morality is what individuals follow independently.
