RichC Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 How many people feel that they live a morally correct life? Do you respect the laws of the land more so than your own individual code of ethics? And are there many laws which go against your own personal code of ethics? And if so, which set of rules wins? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BudLover Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 What is morally correct in one persons eyes can be thought of as the devils work to another. Laws and morals......totally different things IMO. I have broken the law on a few occasions and no doubt will do so again at some point; having said that, even though I have broken the law, I do not believe I have damaged either my own or anyone elses morals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greybeard Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 And are there many laws which go against your own personal code of ethics? And if so, which set of rules wins? Impossible to answer that....our present govt. have apparently put more than 90 new offences on the statute book, and the tories before them were quite profligate with the 'thou shallt not' routine. I wouldn't bank on it still being legal to pick you nose in public - who knows ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunzi Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 Serious question for you RichC, in which way do you believe that morals would make it possible for you to break the law in support of them? Laws and morals are not related in my opinion. I am not in anyway perfect and probably have broken the law at some point, but not in a way that would have infringed on anyone else. I’m really struggling to come up with a way in which morals would allow me to break the law though. Maybe if Robin Hood was still amongst us, stealing and giving to the poor. Generally law breaking is for selfish reasons which goes against a moralistic code of conduct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichC Posted September 20, 2006 Author Share Posted September 20, 2006 How about if you feel that morally you have the right to take drugs, as long as it doesn't affect anyone else? That's a clear transgression of the law, and yet it could fit into your moral code. Another would be if you'd been brought up not to grass on people, whether friend or foe. If you knew someone had perpetrated a deed but refused to give evidence or dob them in it would be perverting the course of justice, but to your moral code it would be just and correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunzi Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 There simply isn't a reason that you can take drugs on moral grounds. You may for instance take cannabis if you have some sort of degenerative disease, but that isn't based on a moral decision, it's a personal choice. Nothing at all to do with morals. If you've been brought up not to give evidence against people who cause crimes then in my opinion you aren't likely to have much of a moral code anyway. Who could seriously say they wouldn't report a loved one if they thought they had done something horrendous? It still wouldn't be just and correct to your moral code, it would just be acceptable to them which I believe are entirely different things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichC Posted September 20, 2006 Author Share Posted September 20, 2006 What if your moral code dictates an eye for an eye, and a family member gets killed by someone; another family member then avenges the death by killing the perpetrator themselves, and, knowing that they are wanted by the police, you break the law by sheltering them or aiding and abetting them in fleeing the country? Or, indeed, the whole thorny issue of euthanasia? And yes, you can take drugs on moral grounds. Yes, it's a personal decision, but if you feel that morally you're in the right because you disagree with the drug statutes of the country, then you have made a moral choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunzi Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 What if your moral code dictates an eye for an eye, and a family member gets killed by someone; another family member then avenges the death by killing the perpetrator themselves, and, knowing that they are wanted by the police, you break the law by sheltering them or aiding and abetting them in fleeing the country? A moral code is a code of what is right and what is wrong. It would be based purely upon protecting the family member involved in the crime. In that circumstance, as I said before, if you do that your moral values are already lacking. How many times do you reckon something like that happens? We're not involved in a Soprano's plot are we? And yes, you can take drugs on moral grounds. Yes, it's a personal decision, but if you feel that morally you're in the right because you disagree with the drug statutes of the country, then you have made a moral choice. That still isn't based on a moral decision though, you are making a personal choice that you disagree with the system. Totally different things. Or, indeed, the whole thorny issue of euthanasia? One could argue that it is against the 10 Commandments (which is the most commonly known moral code) to commit suicide. Euthanasia is very much based on the personal level as to how you feel about it though. To commit suicide in that manner I would probably agree that you have to be physically and morally strong but I disagree with everything else that you’ve said so far. Having strong morals should be about doing good, not about how it means you can justify doing wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helly Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 On a tangent here, when I used to have my A level Maths lessons in an R.E. room a very perculiar thing happened. We were all there battling differential equations when an irate R.E. teacher burst in. Some year 10 students had stolen one of her favourite display books, 'Teach Yourself Ethics'. I suppose it went to the right people... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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