What, if anything, is the difference between ethics and moral philosophy?

Question

Are the terms 'Ethics' and 'Moral Philosophy' different in extension as terms in philosophy? Some Departments of Philosophy have courses with titles like "Introduction to Ethics" and others with titles like "Introduction to Moral Philosophy." Likewise, one sees both terms used in the titles of introductory textbooks and anthologies. Are they synonymous, or are they tracking a distinction?

Answer 1

Sometimes the terms are used interchangeably by some schools; however, the technical distinction is this: Morals/Morality is the decisions or actions as either proper or improper (i.e. moral or immoral). Whereas Ethics is the branch or category of Philosophy which seeks to defend and systematize Morality. Thus, Moral Philosophy, that is a study of Morals is almost very close in meaning to that of Ethics.