Getting sick of the ethics debate

**gertjie87** · 25-03-2013, 14:25

Originally Posted by Davidc

I think ethics and morals are being confused here. If a person has low morals they will try to convince you that what they are doing is ethical. I am willing to bet that a lot of these canned lions being bred have nothing to do with preseving the species and everything to do with making loads of money. And I fail to see the connection between a canned lion hunt and a lion saved in the Kruger. I mean really how many "wild lions" are in private ownership anyway and not in big reserves where hunting is banned or very controlled anyway?

A whole lot more n private reserves than in the kruger.
Please explain the differance between ethics and morals

**Davidc** · 25-03-2013, 14:46

Originally Posted by gertjie87

A whole lot more n private reserves than in the kruger.
Please explain the differance between ethics and morals

Ethics and morals both relate to “right” and “wrong” conduct. However, ethics refer to the series of rules provided to an individual by an external source. e.g. their profession. On the other hand, morals refer to an individual’s own principles regarding right and wrong.

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Ethics_vs_Morals

**Davidc** · 25-03-2013, 14:50

There are rules set out for hunting. We may not always agree with them but when we bend the rules we may feel that it is acceptable but in the greater scheme of things we may be acting un ethically. Just because we feel its ok does not make it ethical.

**francois.viljoen** · 25-03-2013, 15:02

The difference between ethics and morals is a slight one, because they are so closely related.

- Morals are what an individual believes to be right or wrong.

- Ethics is a set of rules for how one should behave that are laid down by a group that a person belongs to. This group can be a club, a family, a church, an organization, etc. People who belong to that group are expected to abide by those rules in order to behave in an ethical manner.

Some groups you cannot choose to belong to (e.g. your family), but some groups you can (e.g. religious organizations, the company you work for, clubs, sport organizations, etc.).

You will often choose to belong to groups whose ethics most closely match your morals. E.g. you may decide to join a hunting organization whose ethics closely match what you morally believe to be right or wrong WRT hunting.

**Messor** · 25-03-2013, 15:04

When a driving instructor and a housewife gets behind the wheel of a car they are both drivers, they have the same rights, which one have the better skill, which one's advice would you ask?

When a healthy (eating + exercising) person and a fat slob works in the health section of a store, they have the same rights as salespeople, which one's advice would you ask?

When a shooting instructor and a mall ninja visits a shooting range they both have the same rights, which one are you more comfortable with on a shooting range?

Make no mistake this is not a debate that can be won. Some people try to better themselves, some people don't. The latter just don't want to be called as non equals to the other. It's funny how we notice wrongdoing when we see it, yet because doing whats right is so much harder, we just call everything as being fair and equal. I like this whole ethics debate, especially in the hunting section, it doesn't show me who is right and who is wrong, it shows me whom to associate with.

**francois.viljoen** · 25-03-2013, 15:10

Originally Posted by Davidc

There are rules set out for hunting. We may not always agree with them but when we bend the rules we may feel that it is acceptable but in the greater scheme of things we may be acting un ethically. Just because we feel its ok does not make it ethical.

Yes, but there are various sets of rules, because there are various groups that a person can belong to. Whether the way you hunt is ethical or not depends entirely on the ethical code of the group(s) you belong to.

If you belong to a religious group who believes that it is wrong to kill animals, but you still choose to hunt, you will be acting in an unethical manner.

If the only group you belong to is a game farm who's ethical code allows for hunting of canned Lions in a small area, and you facilitate or take part in such a canned Lion hunt, then there is nothing unethical about the hunt as long as you don't break the ethical code laid out by the game farm.

**Springer** · 25-03-2013, 15:11

Originally Posted by Messor

When a driving instructor and a housewife gets behind the wheel of a car they are both drivers, they have the same rights, which one have the better skill, which one's advice would you ask?

When a healthy (eating + exercising) person and a fat slob works in the health section of a store, they have the same rights as salespeople, which one's advice would you ask?

When a shooting instructor and a mall ninja visits a shooting range they both have the same rights, which one are you more comfortable with on a shooting range?

Make no mistake this is not a debate that can be won. Some people try to better themselves, some people don't. The latter just don't want to be called as non equals to the other. It's funny how we notice wrongdoing when we see it, yet because doing whats right is so much harder, we just call everything as being fair and equal. I like this whole ethics debate, especially in the hunting section, it doesn't show me who is right and who is wrong, it shows me whom to associate with.

I must be missing something, but I have no idea what your post has to do with the ethics debate?

**francois.viljoen** · 25-03-2013, 15:15

Originally Posted by Messor

I like this whole ethics debate, especially in the hunting section, it doesn't show me who is right and who is wrong, it shows me whom to associate with.

Messor here you've absolutely hit the nail on the head.

The way people choose who they want to be friends with is very often based on whether or not those people have the similar moral beliefs, i.e. whether they believe that the same things are wrong and right.

This is why it is very difficult for someone who believes that it is morally wrong to kill animals to be friends with a hunter, for example.

**Davidc** · 25-03-2013, 15:18

Originally Posted by francois.viljoen

If the only group you belong to is a game farm who's ethical code allows for hunting of canned Lions in a small area, and you facilitate or take part in such a canned Lion hunt, then there is nothing unethical about the hunt as long as you don't break the ethical code laid out by the game farm.

I believe you may be missing the point here. The criteria for hunting a lion are laid out in our law and not made up by the farmer, just because he chooses to hunt the way you described does not make it ethical. The same for hunting in general. Think of hunting season, caliber criteria etc. We have no problem calling a person hunting illegaly a poacher but we try to justify un ethical behavior when it comes to hunting lions.

**Messor** · 25-03-2013, 15:25

Originally Posted by Springer

I must be missing something, but I have no idea what your post has to do with the ethics debate?

I know, it's ok.

Originally Posted by francois.viljoen

Messor here you've absolutely hit the nail on the head.

The way people choose who they want to be friends with is very often based on whether or not those people have the similar moral beliefs, i.e. whether they believe that the same things are wrong and right.

This is why it is very difficult for someone who believes that it is morally wrong to kill animals to be friends with a hunter, for example.

Correct, Agreed.