What is ethics? How is it different from morality?

What is ethics? This question at a certain stage of life is asked, perhaps, by each person. The concept has several meanings, but on the whole ethics is the correct attitude of the individual to his own life path, to other people and living beings, to God.

The subject of ethics are specific norms of behavior, intangible values adopted in any society. By the way, in each individual society the values and norms are strictly individual. If some people shake hands when meeting is a sign of a good tone and friendly attitude to the interlocutor, then others can take such a personal touch for insult.

Norms even in one specifically taken society in different periods of time can vary significantly. In essence, morality is always the same, but in its concrete content it can have variations. For example, such canons as "being truthful and benevolent towards one another" or "not doing evil to others" remain unchanged for all and always. Take at least familiar to all the biblical commandments - what is not a variant of ethical postulates? But the reverse example: if a few centuries ago a short skirt or shorts on a woman were considered the height of impropriety, then modern ethics is very loyal in this matter.

Ethical values also differ depending on certain social groups. Any dictionary of ethics will tell you that the standards of behavior between close friends or relatives are very different from those that are adopted between work associates or unfamiliar people.

Often in our minds the concept of "ethics" is mixed with the notion of "morality". But in fact they are fundamentally different. Simply morality can be called a clear idea of what is "good" and "bad." These manifestations can be different even in one national group in different epochs, what can we say about different continents. The principles of ethics are objective, they constitute an understanding of the whole human path. What is ethics? This is the core of the spiritual development of each of us. To him are attached skills, moral principles, character traits, abilities and other aspects of the inner world of man.

Talking about what ethics is, one can not help but mention the religious aspect. In accordance with the main precept of the Old Testament, the main moral value is the man's love of God. Compassion plays the main role in ethics in relation to all living beings without exception. It means caring for and caring for people, animals and plants.

You can also talk about ethics as one of the fields of philosophy, the subject of which is the study of customs and values of a certain human group. Within its framework, several sections are considered separately. Among them, metaethics as a study of all concepts of science, normative ethics - ways to define norms and rules, their study and interpretation, and applied ethics - the use of the above standards in practice.

Of course, the subject of this article is broad and ambiguous. But now the question of what ethics is, you can answer.