MORALITY AND ETHICS
◦ MORALS - used to refer to specific beliefs or attitudes that
people have or to describe acts that people perform. Thus,
it is sometimes said that an individual’s personal conduct is
referred to as his morals, and if he falls short of behaving
properly, this can be described as immoral.
◦ ETHICS - can be spoken of as the discipline of studying and
understanding ideal human behavior and ideal ways of
thinking. Thus, ethics is acknowledge as an intellectual
discipline belonging to philosophy.
Ethical Theory and Moral Philosophy
◦ Refer to philosophical reflection or when we speak of
morality’s nature and function. Purpose of theory:
– To enhance clarity, systematic order and precision of
argument in our thinking about morality.
Foundation of a caring, ethical person:
– The experience of a solid bonding between child and
parents. Foundation of bioethics is the very nature of our
human being. Each individual is born in love, with love and
by love.
- Basically, we tend to do good and right things from birth
until such time that other influences drive us to do evil and
wrong acts.
- The experience of the pasts predicts the events of the
future – As human beings, we are molded by everything we
have experienced in our life.
▪ Ethics covers the following dilemmas
- how to live a good life
- our rights and responsibilities
- the language of right and wrong
- moral decisions: what is good and bad?
Key Differences Between Morals and Ethics
The major differences between Morals and Ethics are as
under:
1. Morals deal with what is ‘right or wrong’. Ethics deals
with what is ‘good or evil’.
2. Morals are general guidelines framed by the society
E.g. We should speak truth. Conversely, ethics are a
response to a particular situation, E.g. Is it ethical to state
the truth in a particular situation?
3. The term morals is derived from a Greek word ‘mos’
which refers to custom and the customs are determined by
group of individuals or some authority. On the other hand,
ethics is originated from Greek word ‘ethikos’ which refers
to character and character is an attribute.
4. Morals are dictated by society, culture or religion while
Ethics are chosen by the person himself which governs his
life.
5. Morals are concerned with principles of right and
wrong. On the contrary, ethics stresses on right and wrong
conduct.
6. As morals are framed and designed by the group, there
is no option to think and choose; the individual can either
accept or reject. Conversely, the people are free to think
and choose the principles of his life in ethics.
7. Morals may vary from society to society and culture to
culture. As opposed to Ethics, which remains same
regardless of any culture, religion or society.
8. Morals do not have any applicability to business,
whereas Ethics is widely applicable in the business known
as business ethics.
9. Morals are expressed in the form of statements, but
Ethics are not expressed in the form of statements.
Example:
▪ Cardio pulmonary resuscitation decisions:
▪ Resuscitation efforts are used to reverse the clinical sign
of death (loss of spontaneous respiration, loss of cardiac
function & unconsciousness)
▪ Ethical questions arise on use of CPR & emergency cardiac
care.
▪ In what situations should resuscitation efforts be used?
How long should efforts continue?
▪ A generally accepted position is that resuscitation should
cease if the physician determines the efforts to be futile or
hopeless.
▪ The Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order is still not
documented legal practice? It is a verbal communication
between the clinician & the patient’s relative or caregiver.
▪ If the son of a big politician has committed a crime and he
uses his powers to free his son from legal consequences.
Then this act is immoral because the politician is trying to
save a culprit.
▪ A very close friend or relative of an interviewer comes for
an interview and without asking a single question, he
selects him. This act is unethical because the selection
process must be transparent and unbiased.
▪ A grocer sells adulterated products to his customers to
earn more profit. This act is neither moral nor ethical
because he is cheating his customers and profession at the
same time.