Simply put, all individuals are morally autonomous beings with the power and right to choose their values, but it does not follow that all choices and all value systems have an equal claim to be called ethical. While we must insist on honesty and integrity over hypocrisy and corruption, we cannot claim that a particular religion, political philosophy, or sexual orientation is morally superior to another. Indeed, allowing the widest possible latitude in matters of personal choice and conscience is critical to upholding the core ethical value of treating all with respect. When we speak of values we are referring to broad, general beliefs or attitudes about something we prize or desire. These beliefs, however, guide and motivate ethical conduct only when they are translated into principles.
Ethical principles are the rules of conduct that are derived from ethical values.
In this way, values give rise to many principles in the form of specific do's and don'ts. Coalition, a project of the Josephson Institute of Ethics, a nonpartisan, nonsectarian organization.