Last updated on November 3rd, 2018 at 10:06 am

Sebastian Marshall, a non-Christian philosopher, discusses the changing definitions of Ethics and Morality in his book entitled Pragma. (If you haven’t read this book, do it!)

He states:

There’s a concept of an internal sense of right and wrong. The word for that in modern English, up until 50 years ago or so, was morality.
  There’s also a concept of an external set of rules of right and wrong. The word for that in modern English, up until very recently, was ethics.
  When we criticize a company that’s broken no laws or conventions of its industry for behavior we still feel is wrong, we’re making a moral critique of them.

Marshall, Sebastian. PRAGMA (Kindle Locations 5357-5360). Kindle Edition.

He goes on to say,

The word morality – not the concept, but the word – transitioned from a positive valence to a negative valence.

Marshall, Sebastian. PRAGMA (Kindle Locations 5343-5344). Kindle Edition.

Thus:

But when we critique a person or organization for “acting unethically,” we’re really saying they’re acting immorally – as judged by our inner sense, and which we believe they should feel from their inner sense too.

Marshall, Sebastian. PRAGMA (Kindle Locations 5352-5354). Kindle Edition.

And:

I think it’s very important to clarify your own thoughts on this matter – often the word “unethical” or “ethical” is used to designate the concept of morality, because the word morality has fallen into disrepute.

I don’t know if the word “moral” can or should be re-claimed, but I do know it’s unstable to invoke the word “ethical” to mean both “systems of rules” and “internal sense of right and wrong” – it leads to confused thinking, and in my opinion, doing the wrong thing in many situations.

It’s dangerous to run on ethics and shame alone – and perhaps even more dangerous to have a confused understanding of right and wrong.

For your own thinking, do sit down at some point and ask yourself why you do things.

Ethics – because the external rules say it’s right and wrong.

Morals – because you think it’s right and wrong.

You can throw the word “morality” over the side of the boat if you don’t like it – “principles” might be an adequate substitute if you think the word “morality” is too tarnished.

Marshall, Sebastian. PRAGMA (Kindle Locations 5360-5370). Kindle Edition.