Understanding Ethics, Morality, and Bioethics

The word "ethics" comes from the Latin word meaning "sea." Actually, the word ethics is derived from "ethos," which is Greek for character. Thus, the relationship between the two concepts is clear. Whoever makes it a custom or habit to act responsibly ends up with a wise character or personality. This character, in turn, makes that person more responsible for their actions than the foolish. So, there is a close relationship between custom and character.

Ethics and Morals

Ethics and morals are not only etymologically akin. Currently, the terms are used interchangeably as synonyms. In philosophical language, a distinction is usually made between the moral code or rules governing proper action and ethics proper, i.e., reflection about morality. According to this distinction, ethics becomes a kind of moral philosophy, which aims to study precisely the specific moral codes: their validity, soundness, and legitimacy. Although ethics is considered a philosophical discipline, the truth is that ethics will be any reflection, analysis, or study of norms and moral values.

Issues of Bioethics

Issues of bioethics: The bioethical issues that should be considered are many, especially at a time like ours with constant research and advances in genetics and medical success. Bioethics must rule on other aspects of medical practice. Can a medical professional habitually impose healing therapies that attack the patient's ethical principles? Should biological life be extended, even artificially?

Morality and Legality

Morality and legality: A fundamental difference exists between morality and legality. While legal rules (i.e., the law) require only external behavior, moral standards require internal adhesion and personal conviction. To include compliance with the law in an external morality and internal conviction, it is possible to argue that while morality is autonomous, law is heteronomous. Although morality and law are different domains, it is clear that there is a relationship between them. The laws of a community should respond to and reflect, as far as possible, the morality of that community.

The Age of Technology

For technical progress has meant so much that our age has been named the age of technology and the technological era. This began to change with the emergence of modern science. Following on from then, the relationship between technology and science has been increasingly close. For the technique, this has been a profound transformation, so it has been deemed fit to distinguish it with another name: technology.