What's the difference? Websters lists them as synonymous.  Are either of them dictated by society or religion, or some outside source?
Are ethics related to a professional code, while morals have to do with society as a whole?

If Websters doesn't know the difference, how in the heck do you expect me to know the difference?[rolleyes]



[:D]

Morals are what some politicians do not have.

Ethics are what some politicians choose to ignore.

Ethics are rules that govern the conduct of a individual or group.

A person can have their own ethics.

Groups can have their own ethics.


Morals are agreements in society on how one should conduct themselves. Religion can have a large influence on what is or is not moral.

I've always thought that the difference was that morals are based on a religious system and are thought to be handed down by God, while ethics are a mutually agreed upon social contract system of behavior that allows people to interact efficiently.

Ethics: 1) the science of morals in human conduct. 2)  moral principles (personal code of conduct)

Morals:  concerned with goodness or badness of human character or behavior; distinction of right and wrong; concerned with accepted rules and standards of human behavior.

I have always said that I have no morals, only ethics.  Someone asked me to explain that the other day, and I really can't verbalize it, so I thought I'd ask ya'll.
Here's a couple of examples of what I mean.
The only thing that keeps me from killing someone is jail and/or retaliation.  I don't think that it's morally wrong for me to kill you.  Therefore, if the actions of one person would cause me a fate worth than jail/death, I would kill them.  It's very simple.
However...I work in the construction industry.  My company allows work that I consider to be shoddy and unnaceptable to slide every day.  This contradicts my ethics.  It has nothing to do with a "work ethic", because I think "work ethic" is a scam run on the little people by "the man" to extract as much work as possible for as little reward as possible.  I also don't care one little shit if my work, or lack there of, causes the owner of my comany to be able to buy a new boat.  I don't believe that "they're paying me to do a job, and I should do it to the best of my ability".  Honestly my loyalty in this regard is to the building, and my own pride.  But I still consider that "ethics".