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What are ethics and morals?
Philosopher: These words are used in
different ways. The word “ethics” is
sometimes used to refer to the philosophical
study of morality. On other occasions,
however, “ethics” is used as a synonym for
“morality” or “morals”. Morality is about doing
what is right and avoiding doing what is
wrong.
Morals and ethics are like a
warning system that prevents
us from hurting ourselves and
others
Are morals and ethics relative or absolute?
Philosopher: As is often the case, it depends on what one means by “relative”
and “absolute”. Many people make the mistake of thinking that ethics is just a
matter of opinion and that people cannot err in setting their own moral
standards. If that were true, however, then we would not be able to offer
moral criticism of abhorrent behaviour – including murder, robbery, rape and
assault – if the people performing those actions though that they were doing
the right thing.
It seems, then, that actions can be wrong even if those performing them do
not realize that they are. However, it does not follow from this that context is
irrelevant to working out what the right action is. Killing somebody, for
example, is usually wrong. There are circumstances, however, such as
legitimate self-defence, where it is not wrong. Thus morality may be relative
to circumstances, but it is not relative in the sense that anything is permissible
just because one thinks it is.
Wisdom- experience and
knowledge together with the
power of applying them
critically and practically 
Wisdom comes through
experiences and watching others
mistakes..
You can learn
from your own
bad
experiences or
interview
others/ search
our good
ethics and
morals and
save yourself
the hurt
Making rushed decisions is often like settling for instant
gratification instead of the delight of a gourmet one of a
kind burger that was made with lots of thought and care.
What would you suggest as a good means of making an
ethical/moral decision?
Philosopher: There is no simple answer to this question, but there
are a few crucial steps:
One needs to make sure that one knows the facts, as these can be
crucial to making a moral decision.
One has to think about the reasons for and against performing the
various possible actions and judge which action is supported by the
best reasons. One often has to overcome one’s own biases, in
order to do this.
We have to probe whether the received “wisdom” really is wisdom.
Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t. It often helps, when one is
facing a particularly difficult decision, to get the help of somebody
who has good judgment or has the ability to think through the issues
carefully and dispassionately.
How does peer pressure influence morals and ethics?
Sociologist: During your teenage years, there is tension between peer pressure
and parent pressure – in other words, a tension between how much you are
influenced by your parents and how much by your peers. Many families have
collapsed, resulting in parents not being present in the activities of their children.
This results in teenagers relying only on the opinion of their peers to bolster their
self-esteem. When your parents are ‘otherwise occupied’, peer opinion is all you
have, so your friends will influence the decisions you make.