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socrates · 08-15-2002, 11:23 AM

MaggieL wrote...

Socrates, do you distinguish between illegality and immorality? And do you beleve all immoral things should be illegal?

I do think there ia a very great chasm between morality and legality. I studied this area for about two years and found that like everything else it is culturally diverse. Anthropologists have discoverd great evidence to show that what we in our 'western' cultures take as 'natural'/'normal' are indeed wholly unnatural or abnormal in other societies.
To use a simple one to explain. In the middle east it would appear 'normal' legally and morally for a male to marry several wifes and have sexual relations with various others at the same time. We call that bigomy. It is illegal in Ireland. It is morally accepted to be wrong also.
But what is legal is not also moral and vive versa in the eyes of the beholder.
ie In the UK they have what I would describe as a liberal and legal abortion regime, but find that it is morally wrong.
Another example would be in my birthland of Scotland it is legally forbidden to walk through someones land to access say a mountain for recreational purposes, but to me that is morally acceptable to roam one's homeland as long as you are not disturbing or damaging or settling on one's property.
I suppose the whole point is this. How do we conceptualize morality?
To answer the last part...

And do you beleve all immoral things should be illegal?

No. I think people should have the freedom to choose their own destiny as long as they dont impede or harm others on the way.

Cheers

08-15-2002, 11:23 AM	#6
socrates Always Learning Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 31	MaggieL wrote... *Socrates, do you distinguish between illegality and immorality? And do you beleve all immoral things should be illegal?* I do think there ia a very great chasm between morality and legality. I studied this area for about two years and found that like everything else it is culturally diverse. Anthropologists have discoverd great evidence to show that what we in our 'western' cultures take as 'natural'/'normal' are indeed wholly unnatural or abnormal in other societies. To use a simple one to explain. In the middle east it would appear 'normal' legally and morally for a male to marry several wifes and have sexual relations with various others at the same time. We call that bigomy. It is illegal in Ireland. It is morally accepted to be wrong also. But what is legal is not also moral and vive versa in the eyes of the beholder. ie In the UK they have what I would describe as a liberal and legal abortion regime, but find that it is morally wrong. Another example would be in my birthland of Scotland it is legally forbidden to walk through someones land to access say a mountain for recreational purposes, but to me that is morally acceptable to roam one's homeland as long as you are not disturbing or damaging or settling on one's property. I suppose the whole point is this. How do we conceptualize morality? To answer the last part... And do you beleve all immoral things should be illegal? No. I think people should have the freedom to choose their own destiny as long as they dont impede or harm others on the way. Cheers Last edited by socrates; 08-15-2002 at 11:26 AM.