Morality, Law, and Politics Essay - 2104 Words

I can imagine a perfect world. A world where morality is of upmost importance in our dealings with each other, where morals are critically examined, and debated with reason as well as passion. This world would be a pinnacle of human achievement. A pinnacle that we are nowhere near. Why is this? Well, in todays society, morals are often associated with obeying the law, and since laws are legislated by politicians, they are subject to politics. Laws are not right in and of themselves, and morals are not a matter of a majoritys opinion. Some matters that are in the domain of charity are done through politics, often citing morality as a reason. Where exactly does charity fit in with morals? With politics? In this paper I will explore the†¦show more content†¦These should be the only rules that may overrule a persons actions, for the more restricted a persons action becomes, the less likely it is that theyll submit to those restrictions. The reason morals may overrule a persons a ctions because these rules are justified. Without justification, there is no reason at all for people to obey the rules, for in their eyes, the rules would be arbitrary, and thus would lack any sort of authority over people. Many people ask why morals should be able to prevail over peoples desires. This is a valid question, one that must be answered if morals are to be defended. Morals must not only be reasonable for people to follow, but they must also have good reasons for people to follow them, otherwise people would not bother adhering to them. These reasons should motivate people to follow these rules. They must appeal to their perceived interests, but if these rules are to apply to all people, they cannot serve the interests of just a few people. Moral rules are not for imposing your own values and tastes on other people! As Narveson puts it, [w]hat matters for morals is that its rules are individually reasonable for people to accept and to follow, so long as others do too (MM, 16). Every nation today has laws, instituted by the ruling class (throughout this essay, when I mention laws I am referring to legal laws, not moral laws). TheShow MoreRelatedAristotle And Plato s Views On Politics And Morality Essay1480 Words   |  6 PagesThe purpose of this essay is to discuss whether politics should be focused on morality with reference to the political thinkers, Aristotle and Plato. Aristotle and Plato have two fundamentally differing views on politics and how it links to morality. Morality to Aristotle and Plato will be analysed through their version of how politics utensils morality to carry out legislation or create a universal manner carried out by the citizens. To achieve this, this essay will examine the following pointsRead MoreImmanuel Kant addresses a question often asked in political theory: the relationship between900 Words   |  4 Pagesbehavior and morality -- how people do behave in politics and how they ought to behave. Observers of political actio n recognize that political action is often a morally questionable business. Yet many of us, whether involved heavily in political action or not, have a sense that political behavior could and should be better than this. In Appendix 1 of Perpetual Peace, Kant explicates that conflict does not exist between politics and morality, because politics is an application of morality. ObjectivelyRead MoreMorality and Politics798 Words   |  3 PagesMORALITY AND POLITICS INTRODUCTION If we divide morality of an individual in two types- individual and public, then public morality comes in political morality. Public moralities have responsibility for welfare of other people and keep justice among them. 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