Batch 2018-20 Semester IV

Core Marketing (CM1)

INDIAN ETHOS & BUSINESS

ETHICS

Assignment No. 1

ETHICS vs ETHOS

Submitted By,
Arun A
18MBAR0337
 ETHICS vs ETHOS
The main difference between ethics and ethos is that ethics refer to a set of moral principles while
ethos refers to the character or customs or a set of attitudes and values. Ethics is derived from the word ethos.

The two words ethos and ethics are linguistically linked as they share the same etymology. However, in the
present world, these two words are used distinctly.

WHAT IS ETHICS

The word “ethics” comes from the Greek word “ethos” which means “character” or “custom.”
Therefore, ethics combines the meaning of the word ethos with the wider meaning of the word ethics. Ethics
refers to the set of moral principles or a system of moral values for a particular society or an institution.
Merriam Webster defines ethics as “the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty
and obligation.”

Hence, ethics differ according to the individual, his social background, etc. However, ethics defines what are
morally good and acceptable from a majority of society.

For instance, the ethics in a certain society is originated with an alliance to their customs, traditions and
religious beliefs as well. Hence, in this instance, ethos directly influences the formation of ethics. However,
ethics in a general sense are those that are accepted universally; moral ethics, etc.

Examples of Ethos:

 Giving or accepting gifts between an employee and a client or official

 Making promises regarding company performance and responsibilities
 A physician shall be dedicated to providing competent medical care, with compassion and respect for
human dignity and rights.
 I will respect the integrity and individuality of the person I am helping and of my fellow Peers Educators.
 I will respect the rules of confidentiality with regard to helping people and education.
WHAT IS ETHOS

Ethos is a Greek word that has meaning such as “character” or “custom”. Originally, this word was
used by Aristotle to describe a man’s character or personality; a combination of passion and caution.
However, at present, ethos refers to the guiding beliefs and values that distinguish a person, society or
institution from others. According to Merriam Webster, ethos refers to the ‘the distinguishing character,
sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution’.

Thus, ethos mainly refers to the core set of attitudes, beliefs, and values that gives an identity to a person,
community, institution, etc. For instance, the character identity of a certain individual in a society is a
manifestation of that person’s outlook in life developed through his social traditions, customs, and religious
beliefs as well.

Another situation is when the business values of a certain institution can be distinguished from
another; here, it is their attitudes and aspirations that contribute to formulating their business ethos. Hence,
ethos can be explained as the characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested by the
attitudes and aspirations of its members.

Examples of Ethos:

 A commercial about a specific brand of toothpaste says that 4 out of 5 dentists use it.
 A political candidate talks about his experiences as a soldier, as a businessman, and as a politician-in
contrast to his opponent.
 At a meeting about new standards in education, the featured speaker is a college professor, who
argues for the new standards.
 Expert witnesses in a trial are an example of ethos-the insinuation is that a psychiatrist's opinion
about a person's state of mind should carry more weight with a jury, or that a forensic scientist
should be able to interpret evidence better than the jury.
 A makeup commercial features beautiful, famous women, who use this makeup-appealing to the
viewer because if these women use it, it must be a good product.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ETHICS AND ETHOS

Both ethics and ethos share the etymology from the Greek word “ethos”, meaning character or custom.
Moreover, ethics is derived from the Greek word ethos.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ETHICS AND ETHOS

 Definition
Ethics refers to a system of moral values for a particular society or an institution. On the other hand, ethos
refers to the distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or
institution.

 Type
Ethics are moral principles that can be used as guidelines for a person, society or an institution while ethos
describes the character of the attitudes and beliefs of a certain person, society or an institution. Thus, this is
the main difference between ethics and ethos.

 Nature
Another difference between ethics and ethos is that the ethics have a universal outlook while ethos is
comparatively more customized since it shows the identity and believes that can be distinguished from
others.
The fundamental differences between ethics and value are described in the given below points:

 Ethics refers to the guidelines for conduct, that address question about morality. Value is defined as
the principles and ideals, which helps them in making the judgement of what is more important.

 Ethics is a system of moral principles. In contrast to values, which is the stimuli of our thinking.

 Values strongly influence the emotional state of mind. Therefore it acts as a motivator. On the other
hand, ethics compels to follow a particular course of action.

 Ethics are consistent, whereas values are different for different persons, i.e. what is important for one
person, may not be important for another person.

 Values tell us what we want to do or achieve in our life, whereas ethics helps us in deciding what is
morally correct or incorrect, in the given situation.

 Ethics determines, to what extent our options are right or wrong. As opposed to values, which
defines our priorities for life.

CONCLUSION

Ethics and ethos are etymologically linked words. Moreover, ethics can be identified as being
derived from the Greek word ethos. Nevertheless, the difference between ethics and ethos is that ethics refer
to a set of moral principles while ethos refers to the character or customs or a set of attitudes and values.

While ethics are consistently applied over the period, and remains same for all the human beings. Values
have an individualistic approach, i.e. it varies from person to person but remains stable, relatively
unchanging, but they can be changed over time due to a significant emotional event.