In response to Sean's question "What is the diving line between morals and ethics, or are they the same approach to the common question: What ought I/we do?"

To me they seem to mean the samething...or at least that's how may of us apply the two terms. Meaning many of us use the words interchangeably like synonyms of each other. Many fields of study have an ethics code which tells them what they can and can't do and why. And in some fields there are severe consequence for breaking the ethics code because it is "wrong".

Even the very popular Dictionary.com uses the word ethical in the definition of moral....

Moral- of, pertaining to, or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong: ethical

As you scroll further down the page this is what they have under synonym...

"Morals, ethics refer to rules and standards of conduct and practice. Morals refers to generally accepted customs of conduct and right living in a society, and to the individual's practice in relation to these: the morals of our civilization. Ethics now implies high standards of honest and honorable dealing, and of methods used, especially in the professions or in business."

I feel this clears up the difference a bit but I still feel that they go hand in hand....If it wasn't morals or ethics there wouldn't be a need for the other. If we didn't have morals...a sense of what's right and wrong would wouldn't have come up with ethics and ethics codes for different fields of study.

Question:

Do you too believe that without morals there couldn't be ethics or can we have one without the other???