INTROCUCTION

The society is an aggregate of the individuals and if moral upliftment of all individuals can be ensured, society will naturally progress. However, this presumption is more of a pious wish than an actual reality. Social Ethic has to be arranged specifically. Also, there are various social organizations- formal as well as informal which have an individuality of their own and these organizations do perform specific functions to ensure the security, stability, prosperity and happiness of the society as a whole. Family, state, government, church etc. are such social organizations.

Sometimes, the word ethics is used synonymously with morality. The word morality has been derived from the Latin word ‘Mores’ has been derived from the Greek words ‘ethics’ and ethos, meaning custom, habitual conduct, usage and character. Morality, according to Oxford Dictionary is concerned with character. It is concerned with the disposition or with the distinction between right and wrong. Chamber’s Dictionary points out that morality is related to character or conduct considered as good or evil; ethical; conformed to or directed towards right; virtuous.

Thus morality seems to imply socially approved conduct, virtue or good character. It also refers to “Standard of human behavior determined either subjectively or objectively and based on what is considered ethically right or wrong”. A look at dictionary meanings of these words will help to clarify the implications of the word morality. ‘Moral sense’ refers to the power of distinguishing between right and wrong or sense dealing with regulation of human conduct. ‘Moral courage’ means the courage to encounter contempt rather than abandon right course. ‘Moral Law’ refers to those requirements to which right conduct must conform. ‘Morally good’ implies virtuous as regards general conduct. ‘Moral philosophy’ is the same thing as ethics. ‘Ethics or moral philosophy is that branch of philosophy that is concerned with what is morally good and bad, right and wrong, Its central concern is the double task: