Ethics and Morality
Generally understood to concern our ability to make decisions on the basis of what we believe to be morally right or wrong in a specific context.
Virtue ethics: ethics is not just about knowing what to do on a given occasion.
Rather than What should I do?’, we must each be concerned with the question ‘What kind of person should I be?’ Or ‘What kind of translator should I be?’
The decision we take on any given occasion is generally judged as ethical or unethical to the extent that it affects others, for example in terms of their survival, freedom, well-being, comfort, happiness or success.
A person who behaves in a way that affects only him- or herself negatively is imprudent, not unethical.
The distinction between the self and others is never straightforward, e.g., committing suicide.
Morality concerns everyday decisions; ethics has now come to be associated with the right conduct in professional life.
Morality refers to the right conduct for everyone.
