Ethics and Morality: Understanding the Principles

An Approach to Ethics and Morals

The Etymology of Ethics

The word ethics comes from the Greek and has two meanings. The first term comes from the word ethos, meaning custom or habit. Later, this originated from the word ēthos, which means way of life or character. Aristotle believed that the two words are inseparable. Ethics lies in the moral conscience of every human being and serves as an engine, brake, or steering wheel, as appropriate, for the time of action.

Understanding the Scope of Ethics

Ethics is a concept that encompasses a variety of meanings. The word ethos has a much broader sense than that given to the word ethics. Ethics includes the disposition of man in life, character, custom, and morals. We could translate it as "the mode or form of life". When we say that it means character, it is within the meaning of "so acquired by habit". Character is achieved by habit and not by nature. Habits are born "by repeating the same acts"; in other words, habits are the intrinsic principle of the act. Throughout his life, man is performing acts. The repetition of acts generates "acts and practices" and also determines "attitudes".

Ethics, Values, and Axiology

Ethics is in "reality, and the knowledge that is related to responsible behavior brings into play the concept of good or evil of man". Ethics arises from the values that dictate to a person if something is right or wrong in a human act. Axiology is the part of philosophy that studies values in order to formulate a theory that could explain the existence and validity of a whole world of human production that has definite importance to human life and its historical-social development.

Ethics and Morality: Synonyms and Differences

The Latin synonym of ethics is mos, moris, whence the term moral. Both ethics and morals point to the demarcation line between lawful and unlawful, right and wrong, acceptable and unacceptable. We can approach the conceptualization of the word "moral" as a way of being accomplished by appropriation or appropriation levels, a way of being at the crossroads of feelings, customs, and ethical character. Normally, ethics is used within a philosophical and exclusively rational approach. The term "moral", for its part, is most often used for modes of behavior.

Ethics vs. Morality: Justification and Codes

For the justification of standards of behavior, we use the term "ethics". Morality, instead, refers to "specific codes of behavior". In 1834, Jeremy Bentham defined ethics in general as the "science of duties or theory of moral standards".

Professional Ethics

Applied to the professions, it is called professional ethics, and it is the discipline that is responsible for determining and regulating the set of ethical and moral responsibilities that arise in connection with the exercise of the profession. Its content is based on and justified on the principles and standards of ethics and morality. The specific objective of professional ethics is the application of these principles to every profession.