Laws versus Ethics 

Our lives are governed by many different laws. Countries pass laws for their citizens, such as traffic regulations and property laws. Religions mandate different laws for their followers to adhere to, such as giving charity or being forgiving. There are even laws governing how countries can interact with each other, for example how to engage in international commerce or how to behave towards one another during times of war. Many aspects of daily life are regulated by law, and often there are punishments if we do not follow them.  

However, there are many situations that are not explicitly covered by  law and do not have any specific consequences as a result of  right or wrong behavior. These situations present us with ethical, also called moral, decisions. While there is no law that says we cannot lie, many people would still consider it wrong to do so. Often these decisions can fall into "gray areas" that are subjective in terms of right and wrong – it may be wrong to go into a store and steal a candy bar just because you don't want to pay for it, but what if you need to steal medicine you cannot afford to save someone's life? Is stealing always wrong, or it is okay if you have no other choice? Sometimes there are no easy answers. 

Both of these categories ("laws" and "ethics") guide human behavior, yet they are not the same. What is the difference between law and ethics?