Obeying the law essays

Obeying the law essays Obeying the law is a general moral obligation. Usually, laws are written from societal ethical codes; therefore the law can embody morality. Obeying the law usually implies the greatest good for the greatest number of people and therefore complies with Mill's utilitarianism. Especially if the law reflects general morality or protects people from pain, such as the admonition against murder, utilitarian theorists would argue that obeying the law is a general moral obligation. However, there are certain situations in which morality transcends the law. Utilitarian philosophy, such as that of John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham, can be applied to situations in which disobeying the law can be actually considered morally acceptable if the consequence is pleasure for a great number of people. Obeying the law is a general moral obligation that should reflect the greatest good for the greatest number; the law can be broken if it results in pleasure or benefit for a large number of people. However, the law usually reflects the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Laws against killing, stealing, or driving drunk should be dutifully obeyed, according to both teleological and deontological theories. Obeying the law is an inherently moral act, according to deontologists like Kant. There is a categorical imperative to obey the law no matter what the consequences are. Cheating on taxes might enable a family to enjoy a few hundred more dollars that presumably the US government would not miss, but cheating on taxes is immoral because it is illegal. Even utilitarian theorists like John Stuart Mill would argue that cheating on taxes is immoral regardless of the short-term gains. Cheating on taxes could ultimately lead to prosecution, which would be a painful situation. Moreover, taxes are ideally applied to beneficial human services and cheating on taxes therefore steals money from...