Morality and law
- Morals are a part of our law
Morality and law are interconnected and intimately associated with each other. This is because laws are fundamentally based on the moral principles of the society that are used to regulate the conduct of an individual. Therefore, morality and law influence one another to a large extent. Considerably, for the law to be sufficient, it ought to symbolize the moral ideals of the individuals as well as encourage the growth of morality (Banerjee, 2017). The popular conception on the relationship between morality and law argues that laws exist to promote morality as well as to eliminate and preserve those conditions that guarantee moral lie as well as enable men to lead industrious and sober lives.
- Whose Morality Does the Law Represent and What Shapes Morality
The law represents the moral ideas of the people to ensure that people reject immoral activities and correspond to the moral standards within society. The laws offer a system of guidelines on behaviors and set universal rules that everyone should apply. The law represents what the societies sanction as acceptable and right. Morality is shaped by cultural practices, social norms, religious and ethical beliefs of what is true, just, wrong, unjust, and good or bad in with relations of human deeds and conduct (Banerjee, 2017). Therefore, the moral principle that indicates what is good, right, just, and virtuous shape beliefs and morality.
- The Statutes
If morality is not part of the law this means that something legal does not translate to being moral. However, the statutes are formal written enactments that prohibit or command something. The statutes are created to define criminal offenses as well as regulate criminal acts (Raz, 2017). Therefore, the statutes are essential since they serve as guidelines of the norms of conduct for individuals as well as what is acceptable to society. The statutes protect the people against private power and the rules by which citizens live by as a way of solving and preventing social issues.
References
Banerjee, S. (2017). The Relevance of Hart & Fuller Debate Relating to Law & Morality-A Critical Analysis. International Journal of Law and Legal Jurisprudence Studies, 4(2).
Raz, J. (2017). The rule of law and its virtue. The rule of law and the separation of powers (pp. 77-94). Routledge.