Ethics and Morality

People think that ethics and morality are same, but there is a fine difference between them. Morality is what a person thinks is right or wrong. Ethics is what a group of person perceives as right or wrong. In other way morality defines personal character while ethics defines group character. There are many kinds of ethics company ethics, national ethics, business ethics, professional ethics etc. Ethics many times corresponds to law, but it’s not always. Laws can be said to a social ethics, as anybody who lives in a society has to follow laws of that society, this is nothing but social ethics. A person when confronted with making a personal decision is expected to look into his moral principles and make decision, but when the same person has to make a decision, which complies with a group, he is supposed to make a decision which supports the group ethics to which the person is a part.

In our day to day life, we often encounter situations where ethics and morality clashes. One such situation is the case of abortion. Here many people will find aborting a child as morally wrong, but by law it’s correct and hence conforms to social ethical standards. So a person may choose to not abort a child (this is his personal choice and here he applies his moral principles), but the very same person has no right to condemn another person decision of abortion. Here he/she is expected to comply with the ethical principles (read here law) of the society of which he/she is a part. So choosing to either go or not go for abortion is moral choice, but condemning abortion of others does not comply with the social ethical standards. Other situations where ethics and morality clash are the case of homosexuality (many believe it is wrong, but it’s is legal in many countries), the case of a criminal defence lawyer (the lawyer moral code finds murder immoral, but legal ethics demands the accused be vigorously defended. Legal ethics must override moral character and allow the judicial system to let the accused get a fair trial and let prosecution prove his guilt). Some people may find their moral character clashing with their company ethics. They many a times have to make a decision which they do not like, this creates resentment among employees and may lead to employee leaving the company.

Defining and justifying the thin line difference between ethics and morality is a tough call. The world still strives to overcome this vital difference. Understanding of this real difference will lead to a more peaceful world.