Code of Ethics and Belief System

Two things people typically confuse that are actually entirely separate personal characteristics: 1. Code of Ethics, and 2. Belief System. Your Code of Ethics is the "rules" you use to govern your behavior like "Be honest", "Don't hit people", "Don't steal", or possibly "The ends justify the means",or "Do whatever it takes". Your Belief System is your understanding of how the Universe operates like "Scientific Determinism", "Supernatural Mystery", "Orthodox Scripture Description" Although we may think that our Code of Ethics is based on our Belief System, and it may substantially be identical, they are still two entirely different and separate parts of our life and our personality.

One of the tactics that politicians, and car salesmen, typically use is: to confuse and conflate the two ideas. The more they can create doubt in your mind, the more likely you will be to trust THEM. This is why philosophers rarely run for political office and prefer to live the life of a Hermit, or a monk.


To me, it is your Code of Ethics that is more interesting than your Belief System. I am only marginally interested in what you say you believe. I am not convinced that most of us really know what we really believe anyway. Most of what we actually say is just social conformity to expected norms and not a revelation of philosophical truth. On the other had, I am vitally interested in how you behave, and how you might behave in the future. This may directly effect me in a real and concrete way.

copyright (c) 2017

William Schaeffer