Ethics and Morality
The Multifaceted Structure of Ethics and Morality
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When the idea of ethics and morality comes to mind, one often thinks of ideals and codes that are instilled in a person at childhood. However, many studies have shown that these values are influenced and developed far beyond childhood. Different factors that influence these principles can be society, culture, technology, politics, economy, impact of others, biology, and situational awareness. The annotations listed below summarize and accumulate these different influences on our ethics and morals, and why we make certain decisions.
The dictionary's definition of ethics is "a system of moral principles; the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group,culture, etc.; that branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness andbadness of the motives and ends of such actions" (Ethics). This shows that ethics is more than just right versus wrong decisions or way of life, it is a system, a set of rules, and a philosophy involving our human nature. Whether a person deviates from these set of codes for humanity depends on the person and the type of situation that person is involved in.
The dictionary's definition of morals is "of, pertaining to, or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong; expressing orconveying truths or counsel as to right conduct; and founded on the fundamental principles of right conduct rather than on legalities, enactment, or custom" (Morality). This shows that morals are more than how each individual human was raised. Morals come from who we are on the inside. A person's moral code may not always influence how a person reacts in a given situation.
More Than Just Feelings
Ethics and morality are more than...