Morality, Ethics, and Law: Introductory Concepts

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to differentiate morality, ethics, and law. Morality refers to a set of deeply held, widely shared, and relatively stable values within a community. Ethics as a philosophical enterprise involves the study of values, and the justification for right and good actions, as represented by the classic works of Aristotle (virtue ethics), Kant (duty-based ethics), and Bentham and Mill (utilitarian and consequentialist ethics). Applied ethics, in contrast, is the use of ethics principles (e.g., respect for autonomy, beneficence, and nonmaleficence, justice) in actual situations, such as in professional and clinical life. Finally, law is comprised of concrete duties established by governments that are necessary for maintaining social order and resolving disputes, as well as for distributing social resources according to what people need or deserve.

KEYWORDS

Morality - ethics - law - ethics principles

REFERENCES

• 1 Englehardt Jr H T. The Foundations of Bioethics, 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press 1996
• 2 Carter S L. Integrity.  New York: Harper Collins; 1996
• 3 Carter S L. Civility: Manners, Morals, and the Etiquette of Democracy.  New York: Basic Books; 1998
• 4 Gewirth A. Community of Rights.  Chicago: University of Chicago Press; 1997
• 5 Bok S. Lying.  New York: Random House/Vintage; 1989
• 6 Bok S. Secrets: On the Ethics of Concealment and Revelation.  New York: Vintage; 1989
• 7 Beauchamp T L, Childress J F. Principles of Biomedical Ethics, 4th ed.  New York: Oxford University Press 1994
• 8 Veatch R M, Flack H E. Case Studies in Allied Health Ethics.  Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall; 1997
• 9 Beauchamp T L, Walters L. Ethical theory and bioethics. In: Beauchamp TL, Walters L, eds. Contemporary Issues in Bioethics, 5th ed Belmont CA: Wadsworth 1999: 1-32
• 10 Grodin M A. Meta Medical Ethics: The Philosophical Foundations of Bioethics.  Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers; 1995
• 11 Mappes T A, DeGrazia D. Biomedical Ethics, 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill 2001
• 12 Ross W D. Nicomachean ethics. In: Kaplan JD, ed. The Pocket Aristotle. New York: Washington Square Press 1958: 158-274
• 13 Pellegrino E D, Thomasma D C. The Virtues in Medical Practice.  New York: Oxford University Press; 1993
• 14 Ross W D, trans. Aristotle: Nicomachean ethics. In: Bonevac D, ed. Today's Moral Issues: Classic and Contemporary Perspectives, 3rd ed London: Mayfield Publishing 1999: 20-25
• 15 Kant I. Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (Gregor M, trans, ed.)  London: Cambridge University Press; 1997
• 16 Bentham J. An introduction to the principles of morals and legislation (1789). In: Bonevac D, ed. Today's Moral Issues: Classic and Contemporary Perspectives, 3rd ed London: Mayfield Publishing 1999: 43-49
• 17 Mill J S. Utilitarianism (1861). In: Bonevac D, ed. Today's Moral Issues: Classic and Contemporary Perspectives, 3rd ed London: Mayfield Publishing 1999: 50-58
• 18 Warnock M, ed. John Stuart M ill. New York: Meridian/Penguin Books 1962: 7-31
• 19 Rawls J. A Theory of Justice Cambridge, MA: Harvard University. 1971.  In: Bonevac D, ed. Today's Moral Issues: Classic and Contemporary Perspectives, 3rd ed. London: Mayfield Publishing 1999: 59-65
• 20 US Department of Health, Education and Welfare, National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research. The Belmont Report: Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research. National Research Act Pub. L. 93-348. Washington, DC: April 18 1979
• 21 Cassell E J. Life as a work of art. Hastings Cent Rep 1984;Oct:35-37
• 22 Mill J S. On Liberty (1859). In: Warnock M, ed. John Stuart Mill New York: Meridian/Penguin Books 1962: 126-250
• 23 Jonsen A R, Siegler M, Winslade W J. Clinical Ethics, 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill 1998: 7-31
• 24 Horner, J. The language of ethics.  J Med Speech Lang Pathol . 2000;  8 137-153
• 25 Austin J. The province of jurisprudence determined. In: Warnock M, ed John Stuart Mill. New York: Meridian/Penguin Books 1962: 322-342
• 26 Mill J S. Utilitarianism (1863). In: Warnock M, ed. John Stuart Mill New York: Meridian/Penguin Books 1962: 251-321
• 27 Dickson D T. Law in the Health and Human Services: A Guide for Social Workers, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, and Related Professionals.  New York: The Free Press; 1995
• 28 Bernat J L. Ethical Issues in Neurology.  Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann; 1994
• 29 Gert B. Morality: A New Justification of the Moral Rules.  New York: Oxford University Press; 1988
• 30 Pfaff D W. Ethical Questions in Brain and Behavior.  New York: Springer-Verlag; 1983