In the philosophical context, ethics and morals have different meanings. Ethics is associated with the grounded study of the moral values that guide human behavior in society, while morals are the customs, rules, taboos and conventions established by each society.
The terms have a different etymological origin. The word "ethics" comes from the Greek "ethos" which means “way of being” or “character”. The word “moral” originates from the Latin term "morals" which means “relating to customs”.
ethics is a set of knowledge extracted from the investigation of human behavior when trying to explain moral rules in a rational, reasoned, scientific and theoretical way. It's a reflection on morals.
moral is the set of rules applied in everyday life and used continuously by each citizen. These rules guide each individual, guiding their actions and judgments about what is moral or immoral, right or wrong, good or bad.
In a practical sense, the purpose of ethics and morals is very similar. They are both responsible for building the foundations that will guide man's conduct, determining his character, altruism and virtues, and for teaching the best way to act and behave in society.
Read more about Difference between Ethics and Morals.
Want to know more about this topic? See too:
- Examples of ethics and morals;
- ethical values
- Examples of moral values;
- All about ethics: examples, types and history of ethics.
- all about morals.