Which statement correctly distinguishes ethics from values?

Which statement correctly distinguishes ethics from values?

• A. Ethics are personal beliefs; values are societal rules.
• B. Ethics are rules for society or an organization; values are personal beliefs.
• C. Values are rules for society; ethics are personal beliefs.
• D. Ethics are feelings about right and wrong.

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is understanding how ethics differ from values in terms of who they guide and how they're established. Ethics are the rules or standards that govern behavior within a society or organization; they’re external norms that help people decide what’s right or wrong in a collective context. Values are the beliefs an individual holds about what matters most, which guide that person's own choices and actions. So, the statement that ethics are rules for society or an organization while values are personal beliefs captures this distinction clearly: ethics are shared, codified expectations within a group, and values are internal convictions held by individuals. The other ways of describing the relationship don’t fit as well because they swap the roles or reduce ethics to mere feelings. Ethics aren’t simply personal beliefs, and values aren’t informal rules imposed on everyone by a group. Nor are ethics just feelings about right and wrong; they function as normative standards used to guide behavior within a larger context.

The main idea here is understanding how ethics differ from values in terms of who they guide and how they're established. Ethics are the rules or standards that govern behavior within a society or organization; they’re external norms that help people decide what’s right or wrong in a collective context. Values are the beliefs an individual holds about what matters most, which guide that person's own choices and actions.

So, the statement that ethics are rules for society or an organization while values are personal beliefs captures this distinction clearly: ethics are shared, codified expectations within a group, and values are internal convictions held by individuals.

The other ways of describing the relationship don’t fit as well because they swap the roles or reduce ethics to mere feelings. Ethics aren’t simply personal beliefs, and values aren’t informal rules imposed on everyone by a group. Nor are ethics just feelings about right and wrong; they function as normative standards used to guide behavior within a larger context.