Unit 13: Law and Ethics

 Formation of law

 Ethics and laws are found in virtually all spheres of society.

They govern actions of individuals around the world on a
daily basis. They often work hand-in-hand to ensure that
citizens act in a certain manner, and likewise coordinate
efforts to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public.
Though law often embodies ethical principals, law and ethics
are not co-extensive. Based on society’s ethics, laws are
created and enforced by governments to mediate our
relationships with each other, and to protect its citizens.
While laws carry with them a punishment for violations,
ethics do not. Essentially, laws enforce the behaviors we are
expected to follow, while ethics suggest what we ought to
follow, and help us explore options to improve our decision-
making.

 Ethical decision-making comes from within a person’s moral

sense and desire to preserve self respect. Laws are
codifications of certain ethical values meant to help regulate
society, and also impact decision-making. Driving carefully,
for example, because you don’t want to hurt someone is
making a decision based on ethics. Driving carefully and
within the speed limit because you see a police car behind
you suggests your fear of breaking the law and being
punished for it.

 It is not always a clear delineation though. Many acts that

would be widely condemned as unethical are not prohibited
by law — lying or betraying the confidence of a friend, for
example. In addition, punishments for breaking laws can be
harsh and sometimes even break ethical standards. Take
the death penalty for instance. Ethics teaches that killing is
wrong, yet the law also punishes people who break the law
with death.