(May 8, 2016 at 10:34 am)Excited Penguin Wrote:(May 8, 2016 at 10:26 am)Mr.wizard Wrote: Laws do not enforce morality, they are simply rules in place to try and optimize social benefits. In America its the law that you drive on the right side of the road, this is not based on any sort of moral decision. There are also Laws that at times produce outcomes that people would consider immoral, such as, laws that create loopholes or technicalities that allow a murderer to go free.
Laws are essential parts of underlying moral systems, I never said those systems are perfect though, in fact I specifically pointed out that they are continually changing.
Laws do enforce morality, they do so by telling you what you can and cannot do. Think of society as a moral authority, it tells you not to cheat, steal, kill, and so on. It also tells you that you have certain rights and prerogatives. This kind of morality may not be apparent to you because it's not arrived at by a single individual, but instead by certain empowered groups over time.
Just because there is a rule that tells you that you can do something it doesn't make it moral or immoral. For instance, Abortion is legal and there are people who consider it to be moral and people who consider it to be immoral.
