Morality vs. Ethics

[AJStoner]

How do you see these two concepts in relation to one-another? Are they synonymous—are they antonyms? I, for one, would prescribe to the latter interpretation. Morality is arbitrary and ethics are quantifiable.


Morality is based upon how a certain individual or group would prefer something be whether or not it is in any way rational; essentially any nonsense you can get two people to agree to. Ethics must be justified by, and in accordance with, demonstrable facts. A is wrong because it results in B, C, and D.


In the Bronze Age this would be a quaint little philosophical hair to split—today I feel this conversation may be requisite to our survival as a species. Crashing planes into buildings is an extremely moral thing to do, for example, if it teaches the dirty little infidel what’s what. You could not lay claim that it was an ethical thing to do however…

Thoughts?

[Blau&Gruen]

My take would be (at that moment):
Ethics concerns the rationality of decisions in the realm of the oughts.
Morality concerns the (abstract of an idea of) freedom in relation to the realm of the oughts of specific subjects.
Moral is my subjective (or autonomous) ability to judge and perform under values in relation to the realm of oughts.

[Col. Tartleton]

Technically they're the same thing...

I'd say ethics are purely human whereas morality transcend humanity. Ethics are the ways society should conduct themselves whereas morality is the way of the universe. Ethics is acting well within the character (Ethos) of the society whereas Morality is dealing with more universal virtues (Mores.) But that's just how I would use the words, not how the dictionary would define them.

In short Ethics make you an admired member of a group. Morals make you good in a broader sense.

Being a great warrior who has taken many heads might be ethical but it may not be moral.

Obeying the law without question is ethical. Disobeying an unjust law is moral. That's the difference.

[Primo]

In the Bronze Age this would be a quaint little philosophical hair to split—today I feel this conversation may be requisite to our survival as a species. Crashing planes into buildings is an extremely moral thing to do, for example, if it teaches the dirty little infidel what’s what. You could not lay claim that it was an ethical thing to do however…

Thoughts?

No. Crashing a plane into a building isn´t in any way moralic, regardless of the result. You may argue about whether is just or unjust, right or wrong, but it definitly is not moralic.

[Taiji]

No. Crashing a plane into a building isn´t in any way moralic, regardless of the result. You may argue about whether is just or unjust, right or wrong, but it definitly is not moralic.

Dude with a girly mylittlepony avatar, 'moralic' isn't a word, try 'moral'.

[AJStoner]

I think he's a native German speaker so let's not get too picky about his word use--though now that I think of it that makes the Avatar seem even more disturbing...

[Himster]

Isn't morality comprised of ethics?

[AJStoner]

An individual's morality may be, but the two are not necessarily related at all since morality can be extremely anti-ethical. By way of example, people who use the biblical book of Leviticus to justify hatred and persecution of homosexuals but ignore all that same book's rules about wearing mixed fabrics and working on the Sabbath because THOSE they don't feel like living by.

[Himster]

An individual's morality may be, but the two are not necessarily related at all since morality can be extremely anti-ethical. By way of example, people who use the biblical book of Leviticus to justify hatred and persecution of homosexuals but ignore all that same book's rules about wearing mixed fabrics and working on the Sabbath because THOSE they don't feel like living by.

There are some ethics in the christian morality that most people consider unethical, but christians consider them ethical.

You have to understand: morality isn't a science. The "right" answer can never be proven: that doesn't mean there is no "right" answer.

[AJStoner]

You have to understand: morality isn't a science. The "right" answer can never be proven: that doesn't mean there is no "right" answer.

That's my point. Ethics IS a science since the tools of science can be brought to bear on it. Ethics are, in essence, a scientifically derived morality. Its conclusions can be analyzed and thus accepted or rejected based upon their own merits where as "Because Gorak The Eater of Souls said it so you had better do it" is an archaic and unhelpful way to run our affairs—especially since we have reached the point where we can exterminate ourselves in an afternoon.

[Himster]

Sociology (I'm assuming you're talking about sociology) is the softest of all sciences, where the results vary so drastically that it can barely make a single immutable statement. I can barely bring myself to calling it a science without smirking.

[AJStoner]

Fair enough, but imperfection is no reason to stick with Gorak's way of doing things, especially since it's getting harder and harder to find virgins for the volcano these days.

[Himster]

Fair enough, but imperfection is no reason to stick with Gorak's way of doing things, especially since it's getting harder and harder to find virgins for the volcano these days.

Bingo.
Don't ignore the imperfections. That's all.

[Primo]

Dude with a girly mylittlepony avatar, 'moralic' isn't a word, try 'moral'.

Somehow always when you post something regarding me it is negative.

I think he's a native German speaker so let's not get too picky about his word use--though now that I think of it that makes the Avatar seem even more disturbing...

It was a bet!!! A bet!!! I didn´t do this willingly!

[Himster]

Somehow always when you post something regarding me it is negative.

He's just jealous.
It takes a man very confortable in his sexuality to have a unicorn as his avatar.

[Taiji]

It was a bet!!! A bet!!! I didn´t do this willingly!

You bet yourself that you would get more attention from people, especially sex starved teenage boys like Himster

Then what happened?

[Primo]

He's just jealous.
It takes a man very confortable in his sexuality to have a unicorn as his avatar.

You bet yourself that you would get more attention from people, especially sex starved teenage boys like Himster

Then what happened?

Yeah, I definitly get. And then did what happen?

[Denny Crane!]

Pretty much the same word and same meaning no?

[AdamWeishaupt]

Latin vs Greek - and an abstraction of a quality vs a proper name; but 'morality'* as term causes stress to the mind.

I think there are nuances.

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morality : mor-al-ity ~ abstraction of what is believed to be the quality of a common habit

huhh!

Heck, that is an existing word.

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έθος, εος, τός custom, habit

ε̉θικός, -ή, -όν (adj.) arising from a habit

Liddle-Scott, 479s

[Taiji]

I find MyLittlePony to be unethical but not immoral...

OK, sorry. Really on topic now.

In one sense Morality and Ethics are 2 different things, a god-given-right-to-bigotry religious sense. The idea is that there are morals, absolute truths about the mystical good and bad stuffs. And then there are ethics, which we're allowed to decide.

Otherwise, without a god, I think they're the same thing.