Laws and rules help maintain order and predictability in society. They are shaped by ethical ideals and are formulated so as to ensure that individuals find ethical guidance through them.
Laws
- Laws are usually formulated by the Parliament and seek to achieve common goods or prohibit injustices. For example: Dowry Prohibition Act.
- They are wider.
- Laws are mostly applicable within the territorial boundary of a country, unless specified.
- Laws carry stronger punitive power and breaching them may result in stiff penalties including imprisonment, or if severe then death sentence.
Rules
- Rules are mostly formulated by the executive to implement the laws. Or in families and institutions like a school.
- Rules are micro and narrower.
- Rules may be applicable beyond the territorial boundary also, for example conduct of diplomats and government servants. Personal moral rules, or religious rules also apply beyond the border.
- Rules are more flexible and do not carry severe consequences.
Role of ethics in formulating laws and rules:
1. Ethics is essentially formal, standardised codes of morality which shape both laws and rules.
2. Good laws and rules reflect ethical values. For example: Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955
3. Ethical laws and rules help shape ethical values of a society.
4. However, sometimes when laws and rules are not in congruence with ethics then ethics enables their transformation, for example Sati prohibition act, Widow Remarriage Act.
Therefore, laws and rules are shaped by ethics and in turn also help in shaping ethical values of a society. For the progress of any society, they must all be in congruence.
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