Values And Ethics – Differences
                     Values And Ethics – Differences
Chaitanya Kumari
Writes informational articles on common ethics, 
Sanathana dharma, hindu dharma, duties common to 
all along with others on finance, health and 
cultivating wisdom.
Contrary to what is opined by many, “values” and “ethics” do not convey the 
same meaning. Despite the fact both these terms speak about human behavior, 
they aren’t the same. There are some differences.
Values:
Let us now focus on some key points that provide a basic understanding of what 
values are.
•Individual values: These values can be called the set of beliefs/convictions that 
an individual strongly holds, and which influence their behavior. Values vary 
between different individuals. This is because they are dependent on some 
crucial factors such as religion, culture, upbringing, and personal experiences.
•Cultural values: These are the values that are common for all people belonging 
to a specific group/community. They are primarily derived from the traditions 
that the particular group/community follows.
•Professional values: Values that people of varied professions need to adhere to 
come under this. For instance, maintaining confidentiality about a patient’s 
condition is a value specific to doctors.
Ethics:
Essentially, moral guidelines that regulate the behavior of human beings fall 
under the purview of “ethics.” Many aspects of ethics have been converted into 
laws/sets of rules, which are relevant throughout the world.
•Professional ethics: These are various behavioral guidelines that individuals of 
different professions are expected to follow. We have codes of conduct for many 
professions, and these are inclusive of the concerned ethics, too.
•Normative ethics and Applied ethics: The objective of normative ethics is to 
bring out what is morally right and wrong that monitor and control the behavior 
of people. Likewise, applied ethics stresses the significance of in-depth study of 
issues that are relevant to the society/country/world. It explains how these issues 
have to be approached and handled.
It is ethics that enables people to discriminate between the right and wrong. The 
scope of ethics extends further than various belief systems, and it strives to 
develop universally applicable standards.
Major differences:
Now, it won’t be inappropriate to take a glance at a few major differences 
between values and ethics.
But, ethics refers to norms and guidelines suitable to be applied to the general 
population.
Values are mainly related to the beliefs of an individual. The laws and rules in 
society are based on ethics, to ensure that there is peace and harmony.
•The values held by a person could change, depending on the experiences they 
have. But normally, ethics cannot be changed so easily because they are the 
cornerstones of many laws and rules.
Similarities:
Despite the above variations, we also have some similarities between values and 
ethics.
•There are numerous instances where the values of an individual strengthen 
ethical guidelines. Here is an example. When honesty is a value of an individual, 
they automatically stick to the law/ethical principle forbidding things like deceit 
and stealing.
•The importance of both values and ethics is on par when it’s a matter of having 
harmony in society.
•When a professional setup is viewed, the values of an employee make them 
more committed to the organization’s set of ethical norms.
Individuals have to introspect their values to make sure that they conform to the 
ethical principles applicable to them. These individuals contribute their bit 
towards the creation of a society where peaceful co-existence becomes a 
common thing.
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