Ethics is the study of human Morality. Morals are necessary for all humans in all environments. No matter where you live or what politics or religion you support, you will need a moral code as your guiding light for a healthy and happy life.
At its root, human morality is defined as a system of principles that are defined based on actions in terms of good and evil for the purposes of survival and secondly, behavioural principles in terms of right and wrong within a social context. These principles have both biological and social elements.
Biologically, humans have the capacity for rational thought and self-reflection, allowing them to question, analyse, and refine actions. This leads to habits like productiveness and pride, which provides a rational basis for survival and therefore morality.
Socially, humans develop specific systems based on shared values including religious beliefs, laws, and cultural practices. These systems help maintain social order and promote the well-being of the community. These values include empathy, fairness, and cooperation, which are essential for functioning within social groups.
Even if an individual is alone on a desert island, rules must be developed to survive.
How do I find food that's safe to eat?
How do I protect myself from extreme weather?
How do I protect myself from dangerous predators?
These questions require Reason to answer and act upon. This process generates a moral code by which to live.
The critical components of reason are:
Rational Thought - An individual's only tool for gaining knowledge.
Purpose - An individual's desire for health and happiness which is the basis for survival.
Self esteem - The barometer used by an individual to gauge health and happiness.
As more individuals arrive on the desert island, the agreements made between them become Social Virtues, and are used to build and maintain social harmony.
Sometimes there are disagreements which don't achieve mutual benefit, in which case social harmony deteriorates and the individual's original moral values must regain focus.
This scenario shows how fragile the relationship between social virtues and moral principles are. At first, it may seem like a good idea not to share because you have more for yourself, but the longer-term alternative could result in double protection and faster positive results.
The virtues developed for the sake of social harmony will never be as important as an individual's moral code. A strong moral code contributes to survival while social harmony benefits the group before the individual. For example, if a social virtue has developed but it contravenes the morals of one of the individuals, then social harmony will start to breakdown and eventually conflict will result.