What's the difference between morals and ethics?

[Vee]

If I knew, I wouldn't be asking.

I posed this question somewhere else and the answer I got was something like

Morals are handed down from on high, ie. God.
Ethics are a friction reducing principle

That said it led to a debate on the 10 commandments, which were moral and which were ethical but hopefully you'll address the initial question here that I've asked and not the potential outcome I've provided as an anecdote.

[Castle]

Nothing. The terms are synonymous; English is funny like that.

[Jack]

morality

noun 1. The quality or state of being morally sound: good, goodness, probity, rectitude, righteousness, rightness, uprightness, virtue, virtuousness. See right/wrong. 2. The moral quality of a course of action: ethic (used in plural), ethicality, ethicalness, propriety, righteousness, rightfulness, rightness. See right/wrong. 3. A rule or habit of conduct with regard to right and wrong or a body of such rules and habits: ethic, ethicality, moral (used in plural). See right/wrong.

Source

So by definition, they're synonymous. In usage, however, a person can add their own spin to either term making them distinct.

[Strange Dreamer]

My perception of this is that morality is the general framework on which you build your behavior, and ethics is the aplication of said framework in relation to the changing circumstances the world presents each day. I hope that is a good enough answer to satisfy your question.

[Rave7pt0]

Professionals in the field don't make a distinction; they are identical... in common usage morality is sometimes used to connote religion, but that's coloquial.

[PatrickHenry]

Quote by: Strange Dreamer My perception of this is that morality is the general framework on which you build your behavior, and ethics is the aplication of said framework in relation to the changing circumstances the world presents each day. I hope that is a good enough answer to satisfy your question.

If they're not synonymous, I would say you have it in your crosshairs, Strange Dreamer.

[macnpat]

Morals are a code by which each individual judges his own behavior.

Ethics is the cultural standard by which a community interacts.

For example. It may be unethical to play an insider tip on the stock market. But, it is not immoral. It may be immoral to steal something, but it is not unethical during wartime to seize property of the enemy.

[Vee]

Firstly apologies for the megabump but I'm looking for some stuff to entertain me and what better than a topic of my own.

What would if I was to say I don't believe in morals but do in ethics? What can we deduce from that about morals and ethics?

[Rortykiller]

1

Quote by: castle nothing. The terms are synonymous; english is funny like that.

thank you!!!!!