Ethics and etiquette: what is the difference?

Many people identify the concepts of ethics and etiquette. Such perception occurs not only because of the consonance of these two words, but also because they have much in common with each other. However, the difference between the rules still exists. What unites these two phenomena, and how they differ significantly among themselves, try to understand this article.

Ethics is called the science of morality and ethics. It refers to philosophical disciplines, and the term itself has ancient Greek roots. For the first time he used it and introduced it to use by Aristotle. Morality is a fundamental way of regulating human behavior in society, is a system of norms and principles of a good lifestyle. Any moral standard teaches people of humanity and life together. Ethics concerns all spheres of human life and society as a whole, based on the manifestation of mercy and justice in relation to everything around.

The main tasks of ethics as a science are the following:

• the study of the history of morality and its principles, norms and all that relates to moral culture;
• an explanation of the concept of morality on the part of what it should be and what it really is;
• the study of moral values, which is good and evil.

Etiquette is a code of conduct adopted in a particular society. The concept of etiquette existed in the times of ancient civilizations, which followed certain rituals and had their own hierarchy. The use of this term was first noted during court ceremonial during the reign of the French king Louis XIV. Guests in the palace were handed out cards (labels), which were painted rules of conduct during the ceremony.

For the word of French origin hides a huge number of customs, politeness and respect for the aesthetics of behavior in society, many of which originate in antiquity. However, the same rule of etiquette can be perceived differently in different historical eras or among residents of different countries.

Etiquette is conventionally divided into several types:

• secular etiquette - the accepted norms of behavior at the palace, in the modern world used in monarchical countries;
• official or business etiquette - is used in professional activities, depending on the standards adopted for a particular field of activity;
• diplomatic - generally accepted rules for holding meetings between diplomats and other officials at the intergovernmental level;
• military - a set of rules of conduct and treatment of military personnel both in the performance of official duties and in public places;
• civil etiquette or rules of conduct in public places are applicable to the communication of individuals of a particular society among themselves.

In addition to these types, rules of conduct at the table, established rules of farewell to the deceased, professional etiquette of doctors and teachers, and other types of rules of conduct are often used.

The ratio of moral norms and rules of etiquette allows you to see that their provisions have common components.

• Many consider these two concepts an inseparable couple, because they include etiquette in ethics as a science.Often, in the process of mastering and accepting the norms of etiquette by a person, a person unwittingly relates this or that norm to his ethical considerations, can accept or reject it, try to adjust it to his conscience.
• The existing canons of ethics and etiquette can be divided into two groups. The first includes the rules governing the treatment of a person with other representatives of society. The second group contains the regulations of individual behavior in society, which do not imply communication.
• Both of these sciences are designed to determine the rules of the relationship of people in society, teach them to coexist peacefully. Both ethics and etiquette are an integral part of personality, its moral self-consciousness.
• Both of these phenomena are reflected in human actions and behavior, as well as in opinion from the outside. Conclusions and conclusions about the assimilation and application of the norms of ethics and etiquette are made on the basis of observations, but the assessment may be subjective due to different moral perceptions.

Despite the close relationship, the features that allow to distinguish the concepts of ethical norms and rules of etiquette are highlighted.

• The rules of etiquette are usually presented in documents in the form of a job description or a code or agreement. In addition, they may be the result of oral agreements, established age-old traditions or stereotypes. In any case, etiquette implies the existence of rules that people are forced to follow in order to seem polite. At the same time, ethical principles, in contrast to the norms of etiquette, are the main feature of human morality. Each person has his own acceptable set of ethical norms that make up the moral system of a particular person and are called conscience.
• For the most part, acts motivated by ethical considerations are important for assessing oneself and remain something intimate. Norms of etiquette are often associated with deliberately demonstrated, sometimes even feigned behavior.
• Violators of the norms of behavior will be considered a maximum by an ill-mannered person. Those who have crossed the moral limit may even be held accountable.

• Ethics affect the internal, moral and motivational side of a person, and etiquette concerns the external, socio-economic component of personality.
• Etiquette differs from ethics in that it is private. So, there are a large number of varieties of rules of behavior according to the type of society, for which certain norms are effective. In addition, etiquette can be classified by scope. For different peoples, the rules of behavior in society are also acceptable, which often contradict each other. The moral norms that ethics teaches are the same for all people.
• Etiquette, unlike ethics, involves the observance of certain rituals. Such ceremoniality is obligatory for performance, has a permanent form and is generally accepted.
• Another distinctive feature is that etiquette is pragmatic. The degree of seriousness of the event, and how much the social status of the participants varies, will depend on the observance of certain standards.
• In some situations, the norms of ethics and etiquette may not coincide. For example, a man who stood up for a woman, who called offenders uncultured, violated the rules of behavior in a public place. But at that moment he acted in accordance with his conscience, which did not allow her to leave the girl in need.

In the next video, etiquette specialist Larisa Revazova talks about the basic rules of secular and business etiquette and explains why they are needed in everyday life.