The textbook does not distinguish between "Ethics" and "Morality", as for instance, page 411 states, "To many people, ethics or morality is an automatic response". The two words seem to be clubbed together as one, when in fact there is a subtle distinction. The difference between the two is: Ethics is a subject which studies the object called Morality.
In other words, Ethics is a field of study, whereas Morality is what is "out there". It is like the difference between Medicine, which is a field of study, and the human body, which is the object of study.
This is clearly brought out by the Professor of Philosophy at the University of California at San Diego, Lawrence M. Hinman in his Glossary on Ethics (http://ethics.sandiego.edu/Glossary.html), where he writes:
"Ethics. The explicit, philosophical reflection on moral beliefs and practices. The difference between ethics and morality is similar to the difference between musicology and music. Ethics is a conscious stepping back and reflecting on morality, just as musicology is a conscious reflection on music."
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Aside from this course, I am also taking another course on law and ethics. On the first day of class, we were to turn in a paper on what our thoughts and views were of morals, ethics, and law. I always thought of morals as a personal belief of what is right and wrong while ethics is influenced by society. Both morals and ethics are not necessarily written rules but the law is. Even though morals and ethics are not really governed, it is funny how people will naturally behave as if it is. If a person or business is known to be unethical, people will naturally begin to avoid or shun that particular individual or business.
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