Meaning of ethics and morals (what is it, concept and definition)

What is Ethical and Moral:

In a philosophical context, ethics and morals have different meanings. Ethics is related to the founded study of the moral values ​​that guide human behavior in society, while morality is the customs, norms, taboos and covenants established by each society.

The relationship between ethics and morality is that both are responsible for the construction of the base that will guide the conduct of man, determining his character, his altruism and his virtues, and for teaching the best way to act and behave in society.

Although both words are usually related, they refer to different concepts. Let's look at each one separately first.

Ethics

The word ethics comes from the Greek ethos which means 'way of being' or 'character'.

Ethics studies the principles that should govern human behavior when trying to explain moral rules in a rational, well-founded, scientific and theoretical way.

It can be said that ethics is, in this sense, a theorization of morality, which even helps to define our own criteria about what is happening around us.

Although ethics normally supports or justifies moral practices, other times it seems to contradict them.

For example,

Respect for the other is a fundamental principle of ethics. As a maxim of ethics, respect is not subordinated to any cultural context but must be practiced before all kinds of people without discrimination of origin, race, sex, orientation or religion. Ethics, therefore, does not discriminate according to the universe of uses and customs.

See also:

• Ethics.Ethical values.

Moral

The word moral derives from the Latin word morālis , which means 'relative to customs'. Morality, therefore, focuses on practice, on the concrete expressions of behavior that derive from the system of values ​​and principles.

In other words, morality is the set of rules that apply in everyday life and is used continuously by all citizens.

These norms guide each individual, orienting their actions and their judgments on what is right or wrong, that is, good or bad, within a scale of values ​​shared by the social group.

For example,

In accordance with the customs in force until the 19th century, morality dictated that every woman was subordinated to the will of the man of the house, and rebelling made her "immoral". This norm has been changing progressively between the XX and XXI centuries in western societies. Thus, the current moral customs and uses admit the independence of women and their impediment is considered immoral.

See also:

• Moral Moral values.

Difference between ethics and morals

To better understand the difference between ethics and morals, we present the following comparative table:

Affair	Ethics	Moral
Concept	Theorizes about the principles and values ​​that should govern human behavior.	It refers to the practices and customs established according to a scale of values.
Character	It is a normative discipline.	It is a descriptive discipline.
Basis	It is based on individual reflection.	It is based on social custom.
Method	Reflection.	Taxation (rules and customs).
Scope over time	It aims to build absolute, universal and imperishable values.	Its values ​​are relative to the society that shares them and change according to the time and the dominant ideology.

• Values