SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Politics : Clinton's Scandals: Is this corruption the worst ever?
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  
To: Andrew Martin who wrote (9887)1/2/1999 11:01:00 PM
From: j g cordes   of 13994
 
Andrew, morals aren't absolute.. laws aren't absolute. Only vodka is absolute. Seriously, I sympathize with your connecting morals as being the basis of just laws. However in practice there's rarely a one to one correspondence.

Everyone claims to have morals. If you pursue some history on the subject you'll find that Islamic law draws on its interpretation of morals, as does Christianity, Hindu law, Japanese law, indeed all law around the world, and not surprizingingly Scientoloty and even Satanic worshippers. So one must ask what morals are exactly that everyone claims to find in nature, yet manifests itself with often very contrary results.

In our Western English law tradition, Jeremy Bentham who lived a nice long life of 84 years dying in 1832, is recognized as having laid out 'scientifically' many of the relationships of morals to law we use. His Principles of Morals and Legislation proposed the greatest happiness for the greatest number should be the key principle guiding how we craft law. The force of his arguments changed English and helped evolve American law. Its a key concept underlying the rule of law as having validity in a democracy.

This is why there is such a tension between an absolute interpretation of rule of law as proposed by Starr, versus the broader moral claim of rule of law which derives from enforcing the greatest good through the will of the electorate.

The party isn't over at all, so long as there aren't any absolutes there's the potential to change for the better.
Report TOU ViolationShare This Post
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  

HomeMailHotSubjectMarksPeopleMarksKeepersSettings
Terms Of UseContact UsCopyright/IP PolicyPrivacy PolicyAbout UsFAQAdvertise on SI
© 2025 Knight Sac Media.  Data provided by Twelve Data, Alpha Vantage, and CityFALCON News