Is there a moral duty to obey the law?

Is there a moral duty to obey the law?

The moral obligation to obey the law, or as it is generally called, political obligation, is a moral requirement to obey the laws of one’s country. All legal systems claim to bind people subject to them; part of what we mean by a valid law is that the relevant population is required to obey it.

Is it moral to follow the law?

If we have a general moral obligation to obey the law, then this applies to any law – even bad laws. According to this view, we only have a moral obligation to obey those laws which we believe are moral in the first place – the good laws – and only because of their content, and not simply because they are laws.

Do laws have to be moral in order to be just?

Laws are generally based on the moral principles of society. Both regulate the conduct of the individual in society. They influence each other to a great extent. Laws, to be effective, must represent the moral ideas of the people.

Why we should obey the law?

the law protects people from harm and it is wrong to harm other people; law-breaking undermines trust between people; society needs law and order to survive, without laws there will be chaos; law-breaking violates individual people’s rights, such as their rights to property or to life.”

Is obeying the law duty or responsibility?

The duty to obey the law is a duty to conform one’s behavior to the rules of a particular legal system. Political obligation is the duty to obey (and perhaps support and defend) the state in which one holds citizenship.

Why do we obey the law?

Economists credit deterrence, saying that legal sanctions influence behavior, and sociologists point to legitimacy, the idea that people obey the law because they see it as a legitimate authority. Your reason to obey the one-way sign is independent of sanctions or legitimacy — it’s simply to coordinate with people.”

Why we need to be moral rather than just be legal?

It will give us the peace of mind and happiness, being fulfilled by the deepest need. The latter says that we should be moral just because it is always the case to do so, considering the importance of social self and the relationships with others in committing such actions.

What does obey the law means?

B2 [ I or T ] to act according to what you have been asked or ordered to do by someone in authority, or to behave according to a rule, law, or instruction: The soldiers refused to obey (orders). to obey the rules of international law. See also.

What happens if you dont obey the law?

If you don’t obey the law, you may end up in court. If you break a criminal law, the police may arrest you and you could go to jail if you are found guilty. If you have a civil law or family law dispute, you may have to go to court to have a judge decide the case. See Types of Law below, for more information.

Why is obeying the law a responsibility?

Why do people obey the law? Economists credit deterrence, saying that legal sanctions influence behavior, and sociologists point to legitimacy, the idea that people obey the law because they see it as a legitimate authority.

What is obey the law?

In order to obey the law a person must act with some recognition that she is in fact doing an action that the law requires. In a phrase, obedience requires knowingly doing the right thing.

Why is morality only for person?

Only Human Beings Can Act Morally. Another reason for giving stronger preference to the interests of human beings is that only human beings can act morally. This is considered to be important because beings that can act morally are required to sacrifice their interests for the sake of others.

Is there a moral obligation to obey the law?

Some legal philosophers argue that there a general moral obligation to obey the law- that the fact that a law demands certain behaviour should be morally important to us regardless of what the law actually says.

Can a duty to obey the law be overridden?

Provided these conditions are met, it logically follows that the duty to obey an ‘unjust law’ cannot be overridden by ‘illegal means’, so long as the law does ‘not exceed certain limits of injustice’ [ 4] . I intentionally focus my discussion on original criticism.

What is the role of moral obligation in fair play?

Pivotal to fair play is the concept of ‘moral obligation’: essential to social cooperation and the reciprocation of benefits. A moral obligation presumes the morality of man, which again is a highly controversial claim that must be addressed.

Are there laws that conflict with the divine law?

As Austin wrote: “Now, to say that human laws which conflict with the Divine law are not binding, that is to say, are not laws, is to talk stark nonsense. The most pernicious laws, and therefore those which are most opposed to the will of God, have been and are continually enforced as laws by judicial tribunals.