To maintain a clear focus on ethics, it is helpful to contrast its domain to that of law, in order to avoid the tendency to confuse the two or to simplify the moral struggle to do the right thing by seeking a legal reason for action

Question

Identify which statement best reflects the comparison between ethics and the law.

A) Ethics considers people as inherently good; the law considers them to be basically bad.
B) Ethics proposes what a person must do; the law proposes what a person should do.
C) Ethics imposes individuals to pay penalties; the law has no sanctions.
D) Ethics is a way to enforce the current values of society; the law changes the values of society.

Answer 1

Ans: A
Ethics considers people as inherently good; law presumes them to be basically bad. Ethics proposes what a person should do, whereas law specifies what one must do. An individual may be chastised if found in violation of ethical principles, but there are no definite sanctions, whereas law imposes penalties in terms of fines and imprisonment. Law is often seen as a way to enforce the current ethical values of a society because it responds more quickly to changing circumstances.