2D2-08-Write about the different meanings regarding Ethics, Morality and Values and provide examples from the 3 peers reviewed sources

The ethics, morals, values distinction

It is impossible to talk of ethics without first considering some complementary and related terms. The three terms: ethics, morals, values are easily confused. For the purposes of this web site, they are defined as follows:

Problems may arise where individuals allow their personal values to interfere with their actions, thereby potentially bringing their actions into conflict with stated ethical standards.
For example, a community worker may consider that it is in the best interests of their client to breach the client’s confidence, leading to a breach of a set standard of confidentiality such as prescribed by a code of ethics, a code of conduct or a legal obligation. The reason for the breach may have been value-based and thereby will not satisfy proper and accepted standards for breaching confidence even though the community worker thought it acceptable or even mandatory. This highlights how our individual values can intrude into our professional lives and potentially cause us to ignore ethical obligations and duties. In other words, our values may cause us to ignore a code of ethics. This is an example of the conflict between worker's values and client’s interests.
It may be possible that an organisation can have policies or procedures that conflict with the rights of clients in a general way, the ethical or conduct requirements of their workers or general principles of ethical practice. For example, an organisation that operates from a particular philosophical or political basis such as one that is operated by a church or local government authority may find that its institutional values do not always accord with worker or client interests. This is the conflict between institutional values and client’s interests or institutional values and worker’s interests.

http://www.tcls.org.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=39

Values, morals, and ethics are somethings that are all acquired as one grows and matures. All of these attributes are shaped by the experiences and people that we interact with. Values and moral are closely related, but are differentiated in the root of a belief. If something is valued, then one has evaluated it. These things of value are judged as good or bad, right or wrong, fair or unfair. Values are closely linked to expectations. In contrast morals are fundamental beliefs that are acquired from a ‘higher power’ or authority figure. The lessons and stories that are learned in church or temple have morals, or an ideological rule of sorts. Ethics can be considered the verb for values and morals. Ethics are actions, decisions, and judgments that one makes based on both values and morals, or just one of the two. While a person’s ethics and values can change over time, it likely that their morals will not, if they continue to prescribe to the same religion or ‘higher’ authority.

Values, morals, and ethics are used differently in different fields of work or study. Values are often used in court cases, just as a person is guilty or not guilty. Morals may have shaped those values, but nevertheless the court’s doctrines set forth the values that are used as a rubric for legal purposes. Because morals are often rooted in religious matters, businesses tend to shy away from using morals to shape their goals and mission statements. It can become controversial if consumers are either offended or do not agree with the company’s morals. As a result businesses tend to base their goals and mission statements using values. How they arise at their values varies and could potentially have been influenced by morals. While this is quite circular, it emphasizes how interrelated values and morals are. In a workplace ethics are often used to determine rules and guidelines. During this determination it is quite likely that values influenced the rules which are meant to set standards and expectations of the rule-followers. Clearly, the linkages between values, morals, and ethics are strong. And perhaps all are used simultaneously to address any one situation.

It is important to understand how our ethics, values and morals are formed. It is also important to understand how to separate one from another such that we make appropriate decisions, take appropriate actions, and are successful. Understanding the minute yet complicated differences amongst ethics, values and morals will help insure a better understand of self.

Navran, FJ. 2010. Defining values, ethics, and morals. Retrieved from http://www.navran.com/article-values-morals-ethics.html on 20 Aug 2012

National Defense University. ND. Values and ethics. Retrieved from http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ndu/strat-ldr-dm/pt4ch15.html on 20 Aug 2012