Agreement-Based Moral Obligations

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Sources of Moral Obligation
1. Law-Based Moral Obligations
Good citizens have a moral and legal obligation to obey the laws, it is part of the assumed social contract of a civilized society. Most aspects of the moral obligations are to not endanger or harm others are supported in the criminal and civil laws that prohibited homicides, assaults, drunk driving, and other dangerous behavior. Similarly, the ethical duty to be honest is enforceable by laws forbidding forgery, fraud, defamation and hence forth. However, to be an ethical person we need to remember that many forms of dishonesty remain solely within the moral domain. If we fail to perform or live up to a legal duty, we can be criminally prosecuted or sued. If we fail to live up to a moral duty, the external sanction is blame and condemnation, and, if one has a well developed conscience, feelings of guilt and shame leading to remorse.
2. Agreement-Based Moral Obligations
The second source of moral obligation is agreement. Even if an agreement does not reach the level of an enforceable contract, there is a moral obligation to do the things we agree to do, especially if others are counting on …show more content…

Incidents of bribery, insider trading and money laundering represent significant concerns and they have resulted in strict law enforcement and the adoption ofethics programs in well over half of Western corporations. International public and private organizations now have an increased interest in ethical issues involving business, mainly in the field of corruption. The OECD and the International Chamber of Commerce are two exemplary organizations that have been combating extortion and bribery within the global marketplace. They are also indicative of the gradual agreement on some common, world-wide standards for global business

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