Overlapping categories

Although "laws" and "ethics" are clearly different terms, there are plenty of situations that overlap. Here is a Venn diagram that visualizes the relationship between these two terms:

 As you can see, some situations fall into both categories.

Keep in mind that some actions fall mostly into one category but still have aspects of the other. For example, speeding is actually outlawed because it is dangerous, which makes it an ethical imperative However, no specific speed is dangerous and therefore, although there is nothing immoral about driving 65 MPH in a 55 MPH zone,  it is definitely illegal. In a 65 MPH zone, on the other hand, driving 65 MPH is both moral and legal. 

To Think About: While telling a lie is not illegal, libel (saying something untrue in a public forum to harm someone's reputation) and fraud (falsely representing a fact to make someone act on that false information) are against the law. Does that change how you would categorize lying in this diagram? Or is it the consequence of the lie that is the problem in that situation?

 

 Toggle open/close quiz group


Click to close