Discover what a moral code is and moral code examples. Understand what personal ethics is and if personal morality for one person makes sense for another.
Updated: 11/21/2023
Moral Code & Personal Ethics | Definition & Examples
Table of Contents
- What is a Moral Code?
- What are Personal Ethics?
- Are Moral Codes or Personal Morality Relative?
- Examples of Universal Moral Standards
- Lesson Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good moral code?
A good moral code is a set of rules that a person or group can follow in order to live a happy life full of goodness. A good moral code ensures that everyone is treated fairly and ethically and that nobody gets hurt by the actions of a person.
What are examples of a moral code?
Moral code examples can include any guidelines which affect how people treat each other. Some examples might be to refrain from killing, stealing, or cheating in order to live a life that is full of goodness.
What is someone's moral code?
Someone's moral code is their judgment of what is right and wrong. A person's moral code is heavily dependent on their culture and what region of the world they grew up in.
Table of Contents
- What is a Moral Code?
- What are Personal Ethics?
- Are Moral Codes or Personal Morality Relative?
- Examples of Universal Moral Standards
- Lesson Summary
What is a moral code? The definition of a moral code is a set of rules that are widely accepted by a group of people to show them what is right and wrong. A moral code can help a person know how they are expected to act in their society or their culture in order to live a life that is full of goodness. Let's break down the term moral code. Morality can help people to assess if they are doing right or wrong by their actions and words. Code is a set of rules or laws that dictate human behavior. Therefore, moral codes are a set of rules that show us how people should behave in an ethical manner. Moral codes are made for a variety of reasons. They can show how a person should behave in a society. They can serve as a guideline for how humans should treat one another. Moral codes can also be the benchmark that a person can use to analyze if they are making an ethical or unethical decision in their lives. A person can use their moral codes to change or alter their thoughts and behavior in order to be more humane or kind towards others. Individuals and groups can have their own set of moral codes.
Moral Code Examples
There are many examples of moral codes throughout the world, and throughout history, depending on the culture and part of the world in which a person lives. These are some common examples of moral codes from religious or historical texts:
- The Ten Commandments
- The Eightfold Path
- Code of Hammurabi
- Bushido Code
- The Four Agreements
Depending on the cultural and religious context, a person may choose to follow a specific moral code as a way to keep themselves in check with their ethical behavior. Most people don't want to do wrong in the world, and generally don't want to be considered bad or unkind. Therefore, maintaining a moral code which is rooted in their religion, history, or culture is a sure way to ensure that they're maintaining a high standard for their behavior in society. There are also implied punitive results that many people believe may happen if they don't stick to the written moral codes. Some people believe they will go to hell when they die, others believe in bad karma for the future, and others fear that they will dishonor or disappoint the deity or deities which they believe in and worship. Many moral code examples are universal, such as those set in the Ten Commandments. The following are moral code examples that many Christians follow:
- Do not kill.
- Do not steal.
- Do not lie.
- Keep the Sabbath holy.
- Honor your parents.
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What is personal ethics? Personal ethics, although sometimes overlapping with moral code, is the philosophy one has about their own life and the way they want to live their life. Personal ethics can also be called someone's personal moral code. People, as individuals, can choose a certain set of ethics for themselves. Personal ethics can sometimes be rooted in religious upbringing, but it also encompasses a person's own lived experiences and the way they see the world. A person can choose a certain set of ethics for themselves to keep their own behavior in check and be self-aware of their actions at all times. For example, someone can choose to have personal ethics which honor their elders by always referring to an elder person as "Sir" or "Ma'am" as a sign of respect. This is not an expectation of everyone in a society, but a person can choose this behavior as part of their personal moral code. Another example of personal ethics is choosing not to use sexist or racial slurs, either in public or in private. Living in an ethical way means, for most people, following their personal moral code whether they are being watched or not. Personal moral codes are a way for a person to make ethical decisions in a way that is consistent with their values. Each person has to reflect and decide what types of decisions they want to make in life and how they want to affect those around them.
Personal Ethics Examples
Other personal ethics examples, which some may feel don't apply to them, can be examples that are set around human relationships. For example, a person who is married might have a personal moral code which includes not having friends who are the same gender as their spouse. A person who sets this type of moral standard for themselves might be doing it to protect their relationship with their spouse, prevent temptation, or simply being respectful of the special bond they have with that one person. This example of personal ethics may not make sense to other people in a marriage, where they might feel it's okay to have friends of all genders and still be respectful of their relationship. In another example, someone may feel that it's part of their moral duty to say something when they hear something offensive being said about another person, whereas others may believe that it's more ethical to avoid confrontation or respect the freedom of speech of other people. Some personal ethics examples which are right for some people may not make sense to others.
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Each culture has its own ideas of what is considered right and wrong. Culture plays a big part in the moral code of different regions of the world. Moral codes are reflections of an area's culture, therefore they are often relative. What is ethical in one part of the world may not be ethical in other parts of the world. Studies have been done to examine morality and ethical behavior around the world. For example, in some parts of the western world, a person may be expected to make eye contact with a person of authority to show that they are listening to them. In other parts of the world, someone would lower their gaze and avoid eye contact with an authority figure as a sign of respect.
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Universal moral codes are more widely accepted by most people in the world who genuinely want to be good and do right by their fellow human beings. Following universal moral standards can help everyone in the world live ethically and serve others equitably. The following are some examples of universal moral standards:
- Help your family or your group.
- Return favors.
- Be courageous when called for.
- Divide resources fairly.
- Respect the property of others.
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Moral code is a set of rules or standards that people choose to live by in order to keep their behavior aligned with the values of their culture or upbringing. People set a moral code in society based on religion, history, culture, or a mix of those sources. Many ethical or moral codes overlap and intertwine with each other. Some examples of moral codes in different part of the world are The Ten Commandments, The Code of Hamurabi, The Eightfold Path, etc. These moral codes are said to ensure that a person's life will have a positive outcome if that code is followed. And many moral codes are considered to be self-sacrificing, which means they will not necessarily guarantee a positive outcome for the follower, but rather for the recipient of those actions.
A personal moral code, or personal ethics, is a set of rules that an individual may follow on their own accord, but are not necessarily a requirement by the rest of society. Personal moral codes may not make sense to everyone, but they are a standard by which a person chooses to live based on their own lived experience or background. Personal moral codes are relative, which means they can seem morally sound to some and not really necessary for others. Someone can choose their own personal ethics as a way to maintain their behaviors in line with their values.
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Video Transcript
What Is a Personal Moral Code?
A personal moral code is a set of rules that we create for ourselves to live by. Most of us do not put the words down on paper, but we all still have them. However, since everyone in humanity is unique, so are the moral codes. Just think, the moral code of a military professional versus that of an artist; or the code of a teenager versus an elderly man's. They may have several rules that are similar, but what they place importance on will influence their moral code.
Examples of Moral Codes
So where does one begin to create their own guidelines to live by? And what are good examples of standard moral codes today? People come from varied backgrounds, educations, and countries, which all influence their personal life choices.
Where some people may have, 'be faithful to your spouse,' there are many that do not hold to this because they think it's unnecessary. Another good example is the moral code of seeking help when you're sick. However, there is a religion, Christian Scientists, that do not believe in going to the doctor. This just emphasizes that moral codes can vary depending on the belief systems of the people creating them.
Most moral codes are set up in outline form, with main ideas and the rules that support it. There are no set rules to follow. It's just based on your beliefs and values. So what are some examples of moral codes?
Family first involves loving and caring for family, defending family, seeking care for family as needed, and placing family above friends and co-workers. Take care of yourself might include rules like do not drink, do not smoke, do not do drugs, keep yourself safe, and do not take risks. Being good to others might include be honest, give to charity, live as a good example for others, and raise children to be helpful to society.
Now if we take this code above, you can expound forever upon the original rules listed, but when creating a moral code it's important to have supporting rules. As you can see above, there is a 'defend family' code, but there's nothing listed stating: do no harm to others. So, without this supporting rule, if defending your family means 'and hurt another in the process,' then it's perfectly within the morality of that person to do so.
There may be times rules within the code contradict. What if you have to put yourself in harms way for work because you are in the military or a police officer? Than your code should reflect this, because sometimes you cannot do good for society and still keep yourself safe from harm.
The Universal Moral Code
There are also moral codes that have been brought forth by authors as universal moral codes for all of humanity. A universal moral code is a set of rules that are generic enough to be good for everyone as a foundational framework, and can be interpreted in such a fashion to fit everyone successfully, such as, 'do good' and 'do no harm.'
These are very broad guidelines that still provide a general foundation for a good life. If someone is doing good things and trying to do no harm, then they are being charitable and kind, while also not hurting others. The only thing this does not cover is the body and mind of the individual. So the person could become ill and die, because there was nothing stating to take care of themselves in their moral code. Although, this seems obvious to most of us, everyone's moral code is different.
Lesson Summary
What is a personal moral code? It is a set of guidelines and rules that people have that determine their decision making. Whether it's in working with others or how they lead their own lives, these usually unwritten rules are how we make our choices on a daily basis. Some examples of moral codes show us that people hold different values as important and that morality is subjective. There are also some people that believe there is a universal moral code that everyone can live by, because it is so general people can interpret the rules in more unique ways.
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Moral Code & Personal Ethics | Definition & Examples
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