Ethics, morals, belief, and values in philosophy

Ethics are a number of behavioral guidelines that essentially stipulate what acts are inherently wrong. These acts include murder, rape, fraud, deceit, slavery, genocide, and torture to name a few (Paul 2003). Ethics, as opposed to morals, tend to be the most general rules by which human beings should treat one another. Morals, however, are like the micro version of ethics: they are subject to interpretation by the individual and highly dependent upon circumstances. Whereas a Hindu and Christian may disagree upon the morality of slaughtering a cow, they would be forced to agree upon the ethics of slaughtering a human being. The difference is one of perspective.

This distinction can also be seen depending upon the circumstances (Ruggiero 2004). If one is to accept the ethical premise that it is wrong to kill another human being, they must conclude that killing a single individual to save many other lives is ethically wrong. Yet, the values upon which many people's morals rest would demand that such action be taken in order to benefit the greater good (Feinberg 686). So, ethics are concerned with the immediate action, and not with the ultimate consequences of that action. If everyone were to behave ethically, then unethical actions would not be necessary for an individual to behave morally. Accordingly, war is unethical but not necessarily immoral. These stances fluctuate depending upon individual's values, which are often seeded by their beliefs. Obviously, the difference between the concepts is delicate, and in many situations they are used interchangeably.

Ethics have the power to transcend all social, religious, and legal barriers; they are independent of the stigmas these systems place upon people's core values and beliefs (Ruggiero 2004). Yet, it is reasonable to wonder where they come from, or what logical thought processes grant them credence. Specifically, it is important to question why it is ethically wrong to harm another human, or even, why one should behave in an ethical manner at all. Ethics are not designed to be accepted upon blind faith, but rather, depend upon our investigation into their ultimate meanings. Critical thinking is the process by which an individual can reach conclusions regarding ethics or morality, and indeed, conclusions about anything at all in the world around them. Thinking critically seeks to dislodge preconceived notions and beliefs that may, perhaps, possess little empirical backing. It is essential to rational human thought processes.

Beliefs, by contrast, require no explicit logical progressions to be reached. A belief is often trusted to faith; and faith, by its very nature, requires the suspension of logic. For instance, it is possible for someone to believe that they can throw a football a hundred yards -- however, the odds are that there is no justification for such a belief. Still, beliefs are not always groundless. I believe that if I let my pencil fall from my hand it will land on the ground. This belief is not based upon any scientific law, but it would be in accordance with every other occasion that I have witnessed similar occurrences. The rather broad definition of beliefs makes their application to the world of ethics and morality complicated. Generally, philosophers attempt to only assert beliefs that are rooted in rigorous argument. These beliefs can imply moral or ethical laws.

Values on the other hand are, for most people, strongly associated with one's personal social, psychological, and moral standpoint. Values, like beliefs, are not always based upon evidence. The notion of "family values," for example, asserts that the traditional familial organization with a mother, father, and children is somehow superior to other organizational structures for rearing children. There is little sound backing for such standpoints; yet, they lay the foundation for a large number of people's beliefs.