Skip to content 
The Difference Between Morals and Ethics
Ethics vs. morals: what is the difference? These concepts are often used interchangeably which is wrong – despite being closely related, morals and ethics represent different values and rules. Morals define the principles that guide an individual while ethics refer to rules and behaviors meant for groups of people – entire communities are based on particular ethical values.
In this article, we will explore the difference between ethics and morals, look at examples of each concept, understand how these two notions interact with each other, and find out how to construct your own moral system based on your personal convictions and rules imposed on you by society.
What Is Morality?
Morality is a set of principles that determine how a person acts in different situations. Morality depends on how the person was raised and what experiences shaped them to be the person they are today – your morals will be different from someone else’s because every perspective and outlook on life is different. Still, despite the diversity of morals, certain moral principles are relevant for most groups of people and civilizations as a whole – courage, sense of justice, willingness to help people weaker than yourself, and respecting individual choices of other people transcend geographical boundaries and eras.
Morality is relative – what you perceive as normal and good, may be considered immoral and insulting by other people. For example, if your friend is constantly late, they may not believe it is a big deal but for you chronic tardiness may imply disrespect and lack of discipline. The behavior of your friend is wrong according to you but they will have a different point of view – it is up to you whether you will make peace with morals that go against your beliefs.
What Are Ethics?
Ethics reflect the moral standards of a certain community. They are supposed to be followed by the members of a group of the population – families, students, representatives of certain professions, or followers of a particular religion. The ethics one community follows are not necessarily important for others, and there are rarely sanctions for any violation that does not go against the ethics of a specific group. For instance, medical ethics are applied to medical professionals only – they are under the obligation to provide patients with competent medical care, show compassion and respect to people under their care, and safeguard the patient’s confidentiality.
If you go against your morals, the only punishment will be the condemnation of your own behavior – worst case scenario, the people closest to you will know you decided to break the rules you have established for yourself. Ethics, however, must be respected otherwise a person can be shunned from a particular group – for instance, if a lawyer neglects the interests of their client and goes against the wishes of the person who trusted them to represent them in court, they may be disciplined for violating legal ethics and put their right to practice law at risk.
What’s the Difference Between Ethics and Morals?
| Morals | Ethics |
| Beliefs, principles, and habits of a particular individual | Rules of communities and societies imposed on all the members of a specific group |
| Develop based on a personal experience and knowledge gained by a person | Develop based on religious customs, rules of society, and cultural norms |
| Necessary for the survival and prosperity of the person | Necessary for the survival and prosperity of society |
| Are typically permanent regardless of the circumstances | May depend on a particular context |
| Internal rules | External regulations |
Ethics, Morals, and Mental Health
Whether you are struggling to follow certain ethical principles or moral rules that have been an integral part of your life since you were a child or something you have learned as you grew up, the inability of the person to stick to a particular code of conduct often causes them to experience internal conflict and emotional turmoil. When the morals you try to adhere to contradict the ethics of a particular group, you may find yourself at a crossroads, not knowing what to do next.
Psychotherapy can be a solution for a person who has had to face a moral dilemma at some point in their life. Whether your personal life took a hit or your career suffered as a result of your moral choices that happened to be unethical, it is possible to reconcile your feelings, figure out what was right or wrong with what you did, and move forward as your morals get stronger and you no longer hesitate when making a significant decision.
Are Ethics and Morals Relative?
Ethics are not relative – the ethical guidelines we follow have evolved with the evolution of society we live in. These rules are shared for a specific culture or community, and a person will be judged if they do not follow these ethical principles for whatever reason.
Morality, however, is a relative concept – morals are determined by every single person on their own. You may have your own principles of what is right and wrong but another individual might disagree with you. Morality is strongly influenced by the person’s background, the things they were taught in their family, their religion, and their experience during childhood and adulthood.
Discovering Your Own Ethics and Morals
| Advice | Description |
| Open Your Mind to New Perspectives | Most people do not expand their horizons beyond the things they have been taught in their households and schools. While following the traditions and rules you have been familiar with since you were a little kid is not necessarily harmful, gaining insight into how the world works and adopting ethics and morals that speak to you and not another person is critical |
| Interact With Other People | Personal growth is not possible without meaningful communication with family, friends, colleagues, and even casual acquaintances. As you talk to other people, find out what matters to them, and how their ethics and morals affect their lives in a positive or negative way, you will be able to identify your own philosophy |
| Learn to Self-Reflect | Whether you are discovering new things about yourself in therapy or examining your feelings, thoughts, and actions on your own, taking a look at your choices so far, analyzing what your words and behavior meant for other people, and fixing mistakes you have made will improve your mental health in general and take your relationships with others to the next level |
| Explore Your Values With a Therapist | Psychotherapy can help you acknowledge your feelings and thoughts instead of trying to change them. If you need to determine your values and adjust your behavior to match them, various therapy modalities are at your service – for instance, acceptance and commitment therapy will allow you to accept yourself while you commit to ethics and morals you believe to be important |
Get the Support You Need With Treat Mental Health
No matter how experienced or old the person is, they should never stop working on their personal ethical and moral codes. If you want to develop a strong sense of morality or improve your ethical decision-making in professional and personal lives alike, it is in your hands. Reach out to Treat Mental Health today – we can shed more light on the ethics vs. morals question and sign you up for therapy to help you discover new things about yourself, your moral compass, and your ethical standards through professional guidance.
FAQs
Can a person be moral but not ethical?
Being moral and being ethical are two different things – sometimes morality and ethics even clash because your morals may not be in line with what your society or community deems right or correct. You can follow your own moral code while breaking the ethical standards formulated by other people.
What are the big 3 moral ethics?
Three moral ethics that run every moral system in the world are autonomy, community, and divinity. Autonomy refers to the individual interests, needs, and preferences of a person, community means people are members of diverse communities – from families to nations, and divinity focuses on the idea of a person being a temporary vessel with a divine soul.
What is an example of morality and ethics?
The common examples of morality are politeness, truthfulness, and empathy for other people. Ethical behavior can be showcased through punctuality, readiness to be accountable for your mistakes, and respecting the authority of people in charge of you.
What are 5 examples of morals?
There are many ways to be moral – five typical examples are keeping your promises, waiting for your turn instead of cutting in line or interrupting, avoiding gossip, helping others when they ask for your input and cooperation, and treating other people the way you would want them to treat you – with respect and compassion.
What is ethics in simple words?
Basically, ethics determine what is right or wrong and what is good or bad. While everyone can decide for themselves what is fair and correct, we all belong to different groups that have an established order – there are moral principles for every member of the community to follow so that no one is hurt and everyone feels safe and respected.
