Generally, the terms ethics and morality are used interchangeably, although a few different communities (academic, legal, or religious, for example) will occasionally make a distinction. In fact, Britannica’s article on ethics considers the terms to be the same as moral philosophy. While understanding that most ethicists (that is, philosophers who study ethics) consider the terms interchangeable, let’s go ahead and dive into these distinctions.

Both morality and ethics loosely have to do with distinguishing the difference between “good and bad” or “right and wrong.” Many people think of morality as something that’s personal and normative, whereas ethics is the standards of “good and bad” distinguished by a certain community or social setting. For example, your local community may think adultery is immoral, and you personally may agree with that. However, the distinction can be useful if your local community has no strong feelings about adultery, but you consider adultery immoral on a personal level. By these definitions of the terms, your morality would contradict the ethics of your community. In popular discourse, however, we’ll often use the terms moral and immoral when talking about issues like adultery regardless of whether it’s being discussed in a personal or in a community-based situation. As you can see, the distinction can get a bit tricky.

It’s important to consider how the two terms have been used in discourse in different fields so that we can consider the connotations of both terms. For example, morality has a Christian connotation to many Westerners, since moral theology is prominent in the church. Similarly, ethics is the term used in conjunction with business, medicine, or law. In these cases, ethics serves as a personal code of conduct for people working in those fields, and the ethics themselves are often highly debated and contentious. These connotations have helped guide the distinctions between morality and ethics.

Ethicists today, however, use the terms interchangeably. If they do want to differentiate morality from ethics, the onus is on the ethicist to state the definitions of both terms. Ultimately, the distinction between the two is as substantial as a line drawn in the sand.
Cc Lalasticlala

Good write up, twale .

It is rare for moderators on this platform to promote articles of this nature. Infact they consider revenue more than knowledge. I hope they are not part of those Nigerians that supports immoral act indirectly. They should refute this assertion by moving this before mid night and not hiding comments

For me o;
Morality is the overall view concerning right and wrong. Be it innate, religious, family or cultural.

Ethics is the rationalization of those morals and its application when dealing with some sets. Most times professional.


E.g — As a Christian medical practitioner, it is against my moral views for lazy youths to engage in fornication, let alone needing contraceptives. However, it is well inline with the ethics of my profession to provide them with contraceptives, maybe abortion if the LAW permits.

If you walk up to me, asking for contraceptives (knowing that you are unmarried), and I give you- I am just being ethical.

But think of one pastor in your neighbourhood that opened a chemist shop and decided not to sell condom or postinor2. His morality trumped ethics.