Principles are generalized rules they have a wider range of applicability. Morality comprises a number of principles, that may or may not combine to form a system. In reality, moral codes range from being arbitrary collections of contradictory rules, to evolved social customs, to explicit comprehensive integrated philosophies. Lastly, there is the crucial meta-ethical issue of what right and wrong are measured against the meaning of good . Naturally, as soon as a reason is offered of why we should have a duty to something or someone, then such morality is re-classified consequentialist.
Duty ethics undermines reason.
It represents an age-old mechanism of social control be it in the name of paternalism or tyranny. It leverages our infantile conditioning of because I say so . Any rational or scientific discourse must ultimately specify some standard or goal by which the actual or projected effectiveness of a moral code can be judged. Fields such as sociology and evolutionary ethics concern themselves with what is , while moral philosophy addresses what ought to be . Secondly, identifying or discovering the set of principles we should adopt if we want to optimize our chances of attaining our goal.