good question.

one is a noun (ethics) the other an adjective (morals). ethical is defined as being a derivative of moral, so they are in effect the same thing. can't think what you're getting at with suggesting a difference, wer, please explain - could be interesting!

when you add the s to moral it makes it a noun... medical ethics have little to do with morals, thus part of the abortion, euthanasia, and lethal injection controversies...taking this into account, at least in parts of America, ethics are different than morals in general usage. However, this is not always the case and upon studying the definitions, they aren't very different at all, sometimes. Although, as your and my definitions point out, morals usually applies to sexual conduct in general usage. Anyway, parts of our conversations in here of late have talked about the morals of this or that, and in reading them I wondered if those talking had actually meant ethics. So I looked up the words, and lo and behold, at times they are different, at other times synonymous, thus resulting in other times when someone is playing with semantics, they are used in the wrong context to imply something not necessarily true in order to gain an advantage in the conversation. I was just curious about everyone else's thoughts on the matter...

cool. thanks for clearing that up.

Ethics and Morals are two VERY different things. What make up the first are decided upon by a large group of people. But the second is more of a personal issue that each has to determine for himself. Or am I wandering in the dark?

well they're not very different according to the dictionary definitions, Riette. only through your personal interpretation of the words, which seems to be incorrect.

So my personal interpretation is totally invalid? Well, forgive me, but I don't tend to build my interpretations and beliefs about certain things exactly upon what dictionaries say about them. I'm not such a damn coward.

Damn! Sorry, didn't mean to sound aggressive, Mike. Lack of tact is my biggest, stupidest, most annoying fault. Do you see words merely as they stand written in dictionaries with such rigid, fixed meanings? was how I should have phrased it.

Oh, and I wanted to ask about the point of this topic; I mean, if there really is not difference between ethics and morals, then what on earth are we talking about? The differences between things that are really the same? It's a little ike asking: So, what's the difference between a donkey? Ah . . . its one ear also sits on its head?

I think there is a difference. Perhaps the denotative maenings are similar but conotative meanings is what this whole damn conference seems to be about anyway!

Quite, dammit! What is the difference for you - I mean without looking it up in the dictionary; that's why there happens to be a topic for defenitions, after all. What are ethics, what are morals, can they be seperated?

I think they can be separated. For me, ethics surround a considerate way of doing things. As a member of certain groups of society, I feel it is my part to play to have certain ethical standards in work and interpersonal commnication. For instance, in work there are certain practices that I consider ethical. I spend my day teaching students rules they need to follow to manage well in a society. Ethical professional practices include honesty, never violating a position of trust and an earnest effort. Ethics in personal dealings include honesty, never violating a position of trust and (you guessed it!) and earnest effort. Morals to me, are tied much more deeply to RIGHT and WRONG. People consider the abortion issue a moral issue, some consider murder and moral issue. Seems to me morals are much more personal and often tied to religious beliefs of right and wrong in the eyes of a supreme being whereas ethics are simply a code of acceptable practices to get along with minimal conflict.

Yes, that's just how I feel about it. I applaud that response!

Wow, a consensus! Maybe we should freeze this topic now while we're ahead!!

*bowing* thank you, thank you, thank you!

And if anyone should march in here and try to push you off the podium, Autumn and I will shout blasphemy and damnation and scare them away. you can stop bowing now . . . you'll give yourself a lumbago! try jumping instead

ouch! your right! (what's a lumbago??? something to do with the lumbars I'm sure.) p

It's a severe condition . . . caused and cured by sex.

and I get that from bowing?!?!? Woo! WOO! now I need that cure!

isn't this where I come back into the conversation?

why in the immoral would you say that? *cackle* *squint* whooooops [i jez fell in Terry's pool]

Well, stop cackling and squinting, or you'll drown. (one has to be practical about these things)

careful Leplep... for a supremem being's sake (if it exists) don't *chortle* in the pool!!!! and WER, you know you're welcome anytime!

But don't go for positions 49 or 88 - they make lumbago worse.

And are the two main causes . . .

yeah, wer, could you come and get this darn supreme being off my back *gurgle gurgle* *glug* a snorkle anyone?

that's easy, Jim, just sign this piece of paper and everything will be just fine...

feels like a piece of lead slate do i gotta sign this thing with my teeth? okay okay there you go how much did that cost me? my life? please, a snorkle anyone? and a pretty long one now 's awful wet in here great filtering system, though Terry, you shouldn't have... if'n i don't watch out, this pool'll real soon be all cleaned of its Leplep

Pity there isn't such a thing as selective filtering . . .

of?

Lep and Plep one for the Spring and one for me