Moral vs. Ethical

Moral vs. Ethical Moral vs. Ethical Moral vs. Ethical By Maeve Maddox A reader has asked for a discussion of the adjectives moral and ethical: I have been writing professionally for 40 years and I still cannot get these straight. There seems to be more than a casual or preferential distinction. One difference between the adjectives moral and ethical is that moral has been in the language longer. A similarity is that moral is a translation of the ancient Greek word ethikos from which the adjective ethical derives. Both words refer to human character and behavior. Moral entered English in the 14th century from Old French moral: â€Å"pertaining to character or temperament.† It derives from the noun moralis, from the Latin noun mos in its genitive form (moris): â€Å"one’s disposition.† The adjective ethical entered English in the 16th century with the meaning â€Å"pertaining to morality.† Note: The plural of mos gives us the word mores: â€Å"the shared habits, manners, and customs of a community or social group.† Greek philosopher Aristotle used ethikos as the title of a treatise on the branch of knowledge dealing with moral principles. Clearly, the two words, moral and ethical, are closely related in meaning. In the 14th century, moral meant â€Å"morally good, conforming to moral rules.† Moral stories taught moral behavior. Everything Chaucer’s Oxford student said was â€Å"filled with moral virtue.† The first definition of the adjective moral in the OED gives ethical as a synonym: moral (adjective): of or relating to human character or behavior considered as good or bad; of or relating to the distinction between right and wrong, or good and evil, in relation to the actions, desires, or character of responsible human beings; ethical. Both words, moral and ethical, describe human behavior in reference to right and wrong. Modern usage assigns moral to behavior dictated by internal standards and ethical to behavior dictated by external standards. Sometimes the two types of behavior coincide. For example, taking a child away from abusive parents is both moral and ethical. Sending a child back to abusive parents for legal reasons is ethical, but not moral. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Dialogue Dos and Don'tsThe Possessive Apostrophe6 Foreign Expressions You Should Know

Clyde Barrows Letter to Henry Ford

Clyde Barrow's Letter to Henry Ford Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker are infamous for their two-year crime spree from 1932 until their deaths in a hail of bullets in 1934. More amazing than his novice murders and robberies was Clydes uncanny ability to evade the police even when he was surrounded. Part of Clydes ability to evade capture was in his skill as a driver, while the other part was most definitely in the choices of cars that he stole. Quite often, Clyde would be in a car that could out maneuver and out run any of the police cars that attempted to follow him. Additionally, living a life on the run meant that Clyde and Bonnie spent days and even weeks at a time in their car while traveling long distances and sleeping in their car at night. Clyde Barrow and the Ford V-8 The car that Clyde preferred, one that offered both speed and comfort, was the Ford V-8. Clyde was so thankful for these cars that he wrote Henry Ford a letter on April 10, 1934. The letter read: Tulsa, Okla10th AprilMr. Henry FordDetroit Mich.Dear Sir: While I still have got breath in my lungs I will tell you what a dandy car you make. I have drove Fords exclusively when I could get away with one. For sustained speed and freedom from trouble the Ford has got ever other car skinned and even if my business hasent been strickly legal it dont hurt anything to tell you what a fine car you got in the V8 Yours trulyClyde Champion Barrow Over the years, many have questioned the authenticity of Clydes letter to Henry Ford, based on a discrepancy over handwriting. The letter is currently on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.