morals, ethics

倫理(りんり)	Morals. $$$

倫理学(りんりがく)	Ethics. Like moral values but founded in logic and philosophy rather than religion. Usually used with new, high-tech situations where the Bible or Koran doesn’t provide any precedent:medical ethics, corporate ethics.

道徳(どうとく)	Morals in general. When newspapers talk about “moral education in the classroom,” they use this word. $$$

価値観(かちかん)	One’s moral values – used with specific things, like drinking, smoking, gambling. $$$

信念(しんねん)	One’s convictions. Usually used about religious convictions. But you can also say, ‘He never wavered in his conviction that revolution was the only solution to racism.’

How is りんり different from 道徳? Well, you can talk about MY 倫理, but you can’t say MY 道徳, because 道徳 are assumed to be universal. You can say “That’s not moral” (道徳に反する).