In her book, "The Good Life," http://books.google.com/books/...html?id=FqCjTny5U0kC lawyer/philosopher/professor/novelist Cheryl Mendolson argues that the term, morality, as we now use it, is a product of Enlightenment thinking, and that while there were certain moral-minded groups and individuals prior to the Reformation and Enlightenment, it was not a widespread concept. She goes on to say that the concept has been perverted by the politics of both right and left, but especially the right.

How do you define the word? Are ethics and morals the same? The author says no - what say you?

Ethics is what you possess while the other guy has no morals.

I use the word "morality" to mean a sense of right and wrong. Like grammar, one could lean to the prescriptive or the descriptive. I am more inclined to the descriptive side, although I am open to the idea that one might find (after comparing many cultures) a minimum set of standards to which most humans adhere.

Though Mendelson's claim that 'morality' as we use it today stems from Enlightenment & Reformation periods is no doubt well-researched, it strikes me as odd. I would be more interested in an anthropological approach. Browsing thro wiki on 'Morality', I found this entry (under Evolution) most closely matches how I think of it:

"Human morality, though sophisticated and complex relative to other animals, is essentially a natural phenomenon that evolved to restrict excessive individualism that could undermine a group's cohesion and thereby reducing the individuals' fitness."

Interesting. I found this Web site, which is named ethics vs. morals. It differentiates the two this way:

quote:

While ethics is the systematized and organized principles that we use every single day, morals are simply what people think is right or wrong.

I agree that ethics is more systematized and pertains to specific issues. On this site they say that morals are categorized under ethics; They say that ethics is the basic structure while morals are the contents of those structures. I'd have to think about it more deeply, but I am wondering whether it isn't the opposite; that is, ethics are specific principles that fall under your morals. I am not sure, though.