PsyChris
MVP
Joined: 23 Dec 2007
Posts: 1393
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Mon Apr 14, 2008 3:23 pm
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Morals define personal character whereas ethics point to standards or behaviors expected within a group. Your ethics determine how your morals are applied to the situation.
For instance it is unethical for a Clinical Psychologist to use their knowledge of human behavior to assist in the development of "torture" techniques designed by a government.
The Psychologist is not legally wrong and his/her actions constitute a "gray area" which we normally use ethics to guide our decision. The Psychologist may be morally opposed to the idea of human torture but his/her ethics guide her to provide an effective system that will catch very dangerous people. Her ethics are derived from military ethic. |
