Or “ethical” vs “moral”

  • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    Either you’ve got it backwards or those definitions have effectively flipped. Ethics is the study of what a society finds acceptable - while morals are an internal measure. That is why we consider our own moral compass when making a decision that we know wouldn’t be judged by society at large and why we debate the ethics of laws - I.e. is the death penalty an ethical punishment.

    • kadu@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      No, they’re correct. Ethics is a branch of philosophy, concerned with defining right or desirable behavior using the same rational foundations as philosophy as a whole.

      Morality tries to answer the same questions, but it’s based on societal customs, inherited beliefs, religion, and similar.