Sunday, March 29, 2009

Moral vs. Legal

There are two sets of behavior. The first set is the "Moral" set, those actions which are in accordance with a defined morality. The second is the "Legal" set, those actions which are allowed within a particular legal system. These two sets intersect in many areas, but in many areas, they do not.

For example, in Nazi Germany, it was illegal to hide Jews, but it was the moral action to take.

Conversely, it is currently legal in America to steal a large percentage of an individual's wealth without that individual's consent or any guarantee of delivery of service. This is called taxation. This is not moral.

Typically, a society maintains a military or police force to maintain general adherence to its law, and a set of religious beliefs to act as guarantor of its morality.

When presented with a conflict between satisfying a moral vs. a legal code, the ethical person will always choose in favor of morality.

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