Obeying the law
Obeying the law is a general moral obligation. Usually, laws arewritten from societal ethical codes; therefore the law can embody morality.Obeying the law usually implies the greatest good for the greatest numberof people and therefore complies with Mill's utilitarianism. Especially ifthe law reflects general morality or protects people from pain, such as theadmonition against murder, utilitarian theorists would argue that obeyingthe law is a general moral obligation. However, there are certainsituations in which morality transcends the law. Utilitarian philosophy,such as that of John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham, can be applied tosituations in which disobeying the law can be actually considered morallyacceptable if the consequence is pleasure for a great number of people.Obeying the law is a general moral obligation that should reflect thegreatest good for the greatest number; the law can be broken if it re
Sometimes the law does not adequately represent morality and to obeyit is therefore not a moral obligation. While strict deontologists like Kant might imply that obeying the lawis an absolute moral duty, there can be situations in which there is noessential moral obligation to obey the law. However, the law usually reflects the greatest good for the greatestnumber of people. Laws can become outdated and laws do notalways imply morality. However, in most instances, obeyingthe law is a moral obligation. Laws are not necessarily absolute, buttransform according to the changing ethical codes of a society. Breaking the law in the name of a just cause would beconsidered morally acceptable even by theorists like Kant, who could seethe good intentions inherent in civil disobedience. Any law that subjugatespeople or denies human liberties can be considered worthy of being brokenin the name of moral obligation. Even utilitarian theorists like John Stuart Mill would argue thatcheating on taxes is immoral regardless of the short-term gains. Moreover, according to deontological philosophers, obeying the law is aninherently moral act regardless of the personal or global consequences. Philosophers who relyon religion for their moral code of ethics may also see the value in civildisobedience. Because it can result in positive socialchange that creates pleasure for a large number of people, civildisobedience is an instance in which breaking the law is actually a moralobligation. Obeying the law is an inherently moral act, according todeontologists like Kant. The law usually represents the greatest goodfor the greatest number of people. Laws against killing, stealing, or driving drunk shouldbe dutifully obeyed, according to both teleological and deontologicaltheories.
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