What is law, and what is government? In our country, the government is a Democracy, or a government by the people. In order for a nation like ours and many others around the globe to define their laws, they first turn to their common morals. These morals become the basis of all forthcoming laws, and society cannot stand without a base of common morals.
The Past
To explore the impact of morals on past governments, let’s delve into the oldest known set of laws. Hammurabi’s code, written in 1772 BC is the oldest known written law. Among the 282 laws are specific punishments for crimes of thievery, bodily harm, and adultery; also contained are guidelines for marriage and families. For example, a son disrespecting his father had “his front hair shorn, a slave-mark put on him, and could be sold as a slave” (Johns). Punishments to enforce similar laws change over time, but the basic values continue.
For example, The Ten Commandments, originating around 1500 BC, also addressed similar issues of thievery, murder, adultery, and family guidelines (Holy Bible). But where did these ideas of right and wrong come from? Perhaps they came from the ideas of self-righteous leaders or religious texts, but the fact that these and other morally based laws have survived through the ages to influence current society is a witness to their effectiveness regardless of their source.
The similar, but more modernly recognized rights to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (US 1776) were declared as unalienable in the Declaration of Independence, and those same rights played a large part in the writing of the Bill of Rights. John Locke was perhaps the inspiration for these three rights when he expressed his idea that all people were free and equal...
... middle of paper ...
.... Print.
Fitzpatrick, Brian. The Rise & Fall of Civilization. The Road to Emmaus, Nov. 2010. Web. 4 Apr. 2014.
Johns, C. Babylonian Law--The Code of Hammurabi.. Lillian Goldman Law Library, 2008. Web. 2 Apr 2014.
Locke, John. Two Treatises of Government. Project Gutenberg, 6 Jan. 2014. Web. 3 Apr. 2014.
Samuel, Ana. New Family Structures Research and the "No Differences" Claim. Family Structure Studies, 9 Aug. 2012. Web. 3 Apr. 2014.
Smith, Emily E. Washington, Gay Marriage and the Catholic Church. Dow Jones & Company, 9 Jan. 2010. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.
The Holy Bible, King James Version. Cambridge Edition: 1769, 2014. Web. 2 Apr 2014
United States. National Archives and Records Administration. The Bill of Rights. 29 Jan. 1998. Web. 3 Apr. 2014.
Wall Builders. Importance of Morality and Religion in Government. WallBuilders, LLC, Jan. 2000. Web. 3 Apr. 2014.
Our ideas about laws and philosophy are borrowed from those of Justinian’s code, which was the main set of laws of the empire. For example, the Declaration of Independence says the “unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” (Doc. D) This is similar to the “maxims of law... to live honestly, to hurt
Morality derives from the Latin moralitas meaning, “manner, character, or proper behavior.” In light of this translation, the definition invites the question of what composes “proper behavior” and who defines morality through these behaviors, whether that be God, humanity, or an amalgamation of both. Socrates confronted the moral dilemma in his discourses millennia ago, Plato refined his concepts in his Republic, and leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi would commit their life work to defining and applying the term to political reform. Finally, after so many years, Martin Luther King’s “A Letter from Birmingham Jail” reaches a consensus on the definition of morality, one that weighs the concepts of justice and injustice to describe morality as the
Government. "The Bill of Rights: A Transcription." National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, 15 Jan. 2007. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.
Hammurabi’s Code provides evidence for early documents that signify law and order. For instance, Hammurabi’s says in his code if a man wrongs another with his false accusations, he shall be subjected to death (1, 3). His laws illustrate a judicial system in which someone has to pay someone that they wronged in either the same way that they wronged him or through money depending on the person’s social status. It is also said in his code of law that there were penalties for those who disobeyed his laws. For example, Hammurabi says, “If that man do not pay attention to my words…may the great god, the father of the gods, ...
“Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," (Jefferson) is arguably the most famous quote from the Declaration of Independence but the more educated would know that Thomas Jefferson most likely plagiarized that from John Locke, who said, “All mankind... being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions.” It is without a doubt that John Locke’s philosophy during the Age of Enlightenment had influenced Thomas Jefferson when he was writing the Declaration of Independence. Although Jefferson wrote the Preamble as his own, one can see that he was paraphrasing Locke. To Jefferson’s credit, his writing of the Preamble of the Declaration of Independence was important because it built the bridge between a philosophical theory and actually applying it to politics of the time.
...reatise of Government, in Locke's Two Treatises of Government, ed. Peter Laslett, Cambridge: The University Press, 1960, p. 287.
Locke, J. (1988). Two treatises of government. Edited with an introduction and notes by Peter Laslett. Cambridge University Press.
Morality binds people into groups. It gives us tribalism; it gives us genocide, war, and politics. But it also gives us heroism, altruism, and sainthood (“Jonathan Haidt Quotes.”). This quote sums the importance of morality perfectly. Even though morality may not be beneficial when the lives of the many out way the lives of the few or if it endangers your own well-being, we have an obligation to understand the morality of different people whether it’s socially, culturally, or religiously. When we fail to take into account these difference we breed conflict and eventually war.
...y for his nation, state or city. However immoral, this is necessary for the progression and continuation of the area, and can only be achieved through the respect obtained with fear. By tying the church to the government, people expected the government to behave morally and to abide by the rules of God, but often times, an entirely moral ruler will be overthrown.
The morals of society concept is exemplified by the Judeo-Christian religions. These religions base their moral principles on their respective religious texts that they believe to contain God’s will.
Similarly morality is another normative system of morals where a group deems what is right and wrong. Understandably morals and law intertwine as both are concerned with upholding standards. However, the standards are not always the same and subsequently can conflict. Challengingly, in a modern democratic society finding a p...
The main argument that circles natural law and positive law is whether or not morality can be distinguished from law, and if it can is it then justifiable to criminalize those who are...
The study of ethics, traditionally, consists of two parts, one concerned with moral rules, the other with what is good on its own account. Rules of conduct, many of which have a ritual origin, play a great part in the lives of savages and primitive peoples. It is forbidden to eat out of the chief's dish, or to seethe the kid in its mother's milk; it is commanded to offer sacrifices to the gods, which, at a certain stage of development, are thought most acceptable if they are human beings. Other moral rules, such as the prohibition of murder and theft, have a more obvious social utility, and survive the decay of the primitive theological systems with which they were originally associated. But as men grow more reflective there is a tendency to lay less stress on rules and more on states of mind. This comes from two sources - philosophy and mystical religion. We are all familiar with passages in the prophets and the gospels, in which purity of heart is set above meticulous observance of the Law; and St. Paul's famous praise of charity, or love, teaches the same principle. The same thing will be found in all great mystics, Christian and non-Christian: what they values is a state of mind, out of which, as they hold, right conduct must ensue; rules seem to them external, and insufficiently adaptable to circumstances.
As society as a whole we are most often times given a set of rules to follow. These rules or laws act as a pathway to help us choose between right and wrong. If someone were to choose the wrong path, there can be severe consequences. In the United States it is common to see jail time when we go against the set moral code. In other countries we may see forced labor or find people put to death for their actions. Each society sets it’s own rules and moral standards. But there is much more to being a moral person than following the laws of a society. As defined by Alan Wolfe, moral freedom means “individuals should determine for themselves what it means to lead a good and virtuous life” (Wolfe, 2001). This means that even though we are given a
Law is one of the most important elements that transform humans from mere beasts into intelligent and special beings. Law tells us what is right and wrong and how we, humans, should act to achieve a peaceful society while enjoying individual freedoms. The key to a successful nation is a firm, strong, and fair code of high laws that provides equal and just freedom to all citizens of the country. A strong government is as important as a firm code of law as a government is a backbone of a country and of the laws. A government is a system that executes and determines its laws. As much as fair laws are important, a capable government that will not go corrupt and provide fair services holds a vital role in building and maintaining a strong country.