Both schools of thought, the subjective and the authoritative, both seem to have something to recommend them.

The problem with the subjective school is that proponents are prone to insist that there is no principle, no morality.  Everything is ethics.

The problem with the authoritative school, on the other hand, is that proponents tend to rely upon their subjective judgements in finding (or providing) an authority.  Proponents insist therefore on an arbitrarily imposed "morality" as a result of ethical (utilitarian) judgements.

Let's see if we can put these concepts together in a clear, realistic and useful way.

All arguments relating to utility, relate ultimately to human utility.  Every ethical judgement must relate to the usefulness or desirability of a given process or procedure as it affects the human condition, individual and otherwise.  "Good" and "bad" can only be viewed in this light.

Principle however cannot be viewed in this relativistic light.  Principle tells us how to boil water; it does not tell us that we should or should not do so.

In the same way, morality will tell us how to behave.  Ethics will tell us the usefulness (utility) of moral behavior - according to an individual's value judgment.

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