Sample Essay on Rules and Moral Behaviour

Introduction

Rules are accepted principles that govern the conduct of individuals within a particular set up. Upholding good moral behaviour is a responsibility of every human being. Studies reveal that culture and individual dynamism has significant influence concerning moral conduct. Concerning morality in the society, some people are guided by self-values and doing right is their norm whereas others require enforcement of the law to maintain sanity. Therefore, the thesis statement of this study is to identify if human beings need rules to or not to be lead a moral behaviour.

It is important to have legal and non-legal guidelines in the society for many reasons. The institutions such as the government, religion, and schools are entitled with the responsibility of enforcing legal norms (Kaplow, Louis, and Shavell). As such, they help regulate the individual behaviour thus promote peace and harmony within the community. As a result, people carry out their activities smoothly without worrying about any impending danger. For instance, the law stipulates that killing another human being is a crime. Without such a condition, there would be several cases of murder in the society. Thus, the penalty that is associated with crime is vindictive consequently making people feel safe.

To a certain extent, the society can achieve morality without laws if human beings decide to advocate for empathy. Morality is required to develop rules and not the vice versa. People should have cultivated the sense of knowing what is right or wrong without necessarily relying on the law. Every individual has the responsibility of portraying a moral behaviour. For, example, during the International Trade decades ago, merchants implemented their trade contracts and settled disputes among themselves.

In conclusion, as much as rules are necessary for governing the moral behaviour of individuals, to some degree they should be free to do what is right. Without rules, the society will be prone to many criminal activities such as murder, rape and much more. Human beings should develop a sense of differentiating between right and wrong without depending on the rules.

 

Work Cited

Kaplow, Louis and Steven Shavell. Moral Rules And The Moral Sentiments. 1st ed., Cambridge, MA., National Bureau Of Economic Research, 2001,