Ethics, Morals, And The Law

The words "ethical," "moral," and "legal" are often misunderstood and misused. The terms are similar in that each refers to a human behavioral code. The terms are similar in that each refers to a human behavioral code. Human behavior is complex and thus no one term is sufficient to describe it. Ethical, moral, and legal issues also intertwine to create our entire understanding of behavior as it relates to our sense of right and wrong. …

…We use the word "legal" when judging an act by the most specific set of local laws that have been codified by local authority. Issues as universal as theft and as specific as jaywalking are subject to local law. The terms "ethical," "moral," and "legal" are similar that each refers to the interpretation of right and wrong. Their differences depend upon how explicit and specific a description we use to interpret a set of behaviors.