I think we understand and perceive morality and ethics very differently. I assume that you've grown past a belief in some god defining morality.
If that is the case, then morality and ethics were decided by humanity - the leaders of the pack. Generally, they would look to survival of the pack, because until a few hundred years ago, we still had to contend with animals, and other dangers.
A general principle would be that a rule would evolve that would be for the greatest good for the greatest many over the longest period of time.
For instance, if people could go around murdering each other at will, not only would the tribe/pack grown weaker, but over time, it would become dysfunctional. So an ethic would evolve - do not kill.
I hope you can make the leaps, because I have written extensively about this in previous articles, and I do not want to have to explain the concept in more detail here.
Now factor in our levels of communication. A thousand years ago, behaviour like that would not impact many because they wouldn't know about it. However, now the entire world knows about it the moment it goes live.
Despite what you say about most people being ethical, most people are not ethical. They don't even grasp what it means to be ethical - if they did, profit would not be a concept!
People come from dysfunctional homes. They read bad media. Consequently, they make bad decisions. This girl is an example of someone like that. There are other girls that are prostituting themselves in order to pay for their college fees.
Intrinsically, there is nothing wrong with them doing that, except that female human biology does not really work that way - not for most women, anyway.
The upshot of a million different 'little messages' given to us by society, is that people are now living lives that conflict with some inner human clock. That is what is driving the high rates of mental illness in the English speaking world. Depression is rife. It's when the 'self' hits reality that the things taught and absorbed by society are not compatible with who we are as species.
Let's take another example. I consider all advertising, propaganda, public relations, etc. to be unethical.
Why?
Because it is not for the greater good of humanity. If you are familiar with Edward Bernay's work, you know that a message repeated, in short sound bites, over and over again, walks past the rational part of the brain, and it is accepted as truth, and the brain acts on it. That's why advertising works. It's why propaganda works.
Only, none of this is done for the good of humanity. It is done for the good of a small percentage of people who are in the business of profit. As a result of this concept, there has been no working together to counter climate change (which should have started 50 to 70 years ago). The priorities are comfort and profit.
So you see, we have very different ideas of what ethics and morality is. The fact that you have been faithful to your wife is of no consequence in what is going out out there.
it is the the understanding that a small number of actions has no impact on the whole, but multiply that actions by billions, and it does have an impact.
:)
