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Legislating Morality
Something Learned
The desire to legislate morality is well established in American history. Our forefather's passed legislation to prohibit acts that they felt might induce people to behave in a socially unacceptable manner. The impetus to legislate morality comes from the tension created between an individual's personal liberty and the concern that this liberty may create a licentious quality that would be terrible.
Some laws are necessary for protecting the physical well-being of individuals and their property and the ordinary function of society, however, legislating morality often has unintended consequences. For example the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919 outlawed the possession and sale of alcohol. Nevertheless, the demand for liquor continued resulting in the criminalization of producers, suppliers and consumers. Police, courts and prisons were overwhelmed with new cases, organized crime increased in power, and corruption among law enforcement officials was extended. The amendment was repealed in 1933.
The video made an interesting distinction between ethics and morality. Charles Willie, professor of education and...
One should not cause the violation of the other. The fact that moral causes have become popular among voters has contributed to the propensity of politicians to introduce bills that regulate morals, which historically religious issues. The problem is that legislative bodies are inherently institutions that facilitate compromise, whereas religion deals in absolutes. You cannot compromise on moral issues; this creates confusion and contradictions in the minds of citizens. The video gave an excellent example of the dilemma of the 18-year-old, mature enough to vote and go to war, yet not mature enough to drink alcohol.
Feelings Triggered
This video had me considering the role of government, and how it has in many ways overstepped its bounds. In many ways it only confused me. I do not think the framers of the Constitution would approve of the extent that the federal government has become involved in legislating values. Many of the issues raised should, by their very nature be local issues, decided within the community or state. Yet the federal…
Works Cited
Doyle, Michael E. (Producer). "Legislating Morality." Films for the Humanities and Sciences [Video]. Today's Life Choices, University of Notre Dame. (1996). 4 April 2012. <http://digital.films.com/play/DLU8UG>
Legislating Morality The ideas of Thomas Hobbes, the influential English philosopher who lived in the late 1500s to middle 1600s, are still considered important today. Hobbes is best remembered for his ideas on political philosophy. While Hobbes throughout his life championed the idea of absolutism for the sovereign he also is responsible for many of the fundamentals of Western political thought such as equality of men, individual rights, and the idea
Moral Hazard The term moral hazard arises out of a contractual agreement. When the terms of the contract serve as motivation for one of the parties to behave in a manner that is "contrary to the principles laid out in the agreement" (Investopedia, 2013). An example that is commonly used is when a salesperson is paid entirely on salary. The salesperson in that case has little direct incentive to perform according
Criminal laws absolutely prohibit furnishing alcohol to minors, even formally requiring bartenders to check the identification of any patron who appears even slightly older than the legal age for alcohol consumption (Schmalleger 1997). Conceivably, the same absolute standard could easily be applied to drinking in conjunction with driving. Furthermore, when it comes to protecting their own financial interests, bartenders often enforce standards beyond what it required by law: they
Many of these individualists will do anything the government allows, even if it is not morally acceptable or ethical. It seems as if society is likely losing its sensibilities and is being led by a nose-ring further and further down an ever more spiraling chute to hell. No longer do many individuals do what is morally correct, instead they choose to do, as society allows them to, whatever makes
Law and Morality Courts should refrain from imposing social values in their interpretation of the law, since doing so can have dangerous consequences. The imposition of social values through the criminal system is a tempting, but unjustifiable, activity that should be guarded against at every level in the legal system. Generally social values are derived from belief systems, worldviews, or religious preferences. Although notions of right and wrong and moral preferences may
Banking Fees and Morality Integrating Values: The Legal, Moral, and Social Responsibility of the Government, the Banks, and the Consumers Legal Section Statement of Relevant Legal Principles and Rules of Law Application of Law to Topic and Legal Analysis Ethics Section Utilitarian Ethical Analysis Kantian Ethical Analysis Additional Ethical Analysis Social Responsibility Section Introduction to B. Definition of term "Social Responsibility" Application of Social Responsibility Banking fees in one form or another have existed in the United States hundreds of years, however the