Government and Ethics

Government and Ethics Ethics is the study of what is right and what is wrong. In our daily lives were continuously forced to make simple and important decisions. Ethics help to guide people’s behavior and assist them in coming to conclusions. There is not an exact rule to what is morally correct because some people view things differently but by having a general since of what is ethically appropriate it can help a society function in a civilized manner. The role of government in ethics, and the role of ethics in government are very important concepts in forming that civilized society. In a society there are laws and there are ethics; however there is a considerable difference between the two you cannot have one without the other. Laws are what the government determines right and wrong. Ethics are what the majority of society determines as appropriate. The laws of a society can only state what a person can and cannot do. But they do not cover the in between. Ethics cover the gray areas and indicate what is accepted in a society. Ethics are personal laws they help people make the choice between what is morally right and wrong. Morals help to make a society more civilized and stable. Even though there is a strong distinction between ethics and laws you cannot have one without the other. Laws are not possible without ethics. In the textbook Thinking Critical about Ethical Issues author Ruggiero states, “The only way for a law to be enacted or repealed is for one or more people to make a decision about right and wrong. That has always been true, whether the lawmaker was the chieftain of a nomadic band or tribe, a king or queen, or a group of elected officials” (Ruggerio, 2008). To determine what is unlawful lawmakers need determine what is moral or immoral. The majority of people in a society determine ethical values. But the idea of majority rule can be very dangerous when determining what is ethically correct. In many cases the majority does

References: Antholis, William and Strobe Talbott. Fast Forward: Ethics and Politics in the Age of Global Warming. Washington D.C.: Brookings Institution Press. Catto, Jeremy. The Burden and Conscience of Government in the Fifteenth Century. Royal Historical Society. London, England. Herrera, C. D. How are Law and Ethics Related? Montclair State University. Upper Montclair, New Jersy. Retrieved October 26, 2010. < http://www-hsc.usc.edu/%7Embernste/tae.ethics&law.herrera.html> Hudson, F.M., & McLean, P.D. (2006). Life launch. Santa Barbra, CA: Hudson Institute Press. Ruggerio, Vincent Ryan. Thinking Critically about Ethical Issues. New York: McGraw Hill.