Book Opener

Ethical and Legal ConflictsBecause law is made by people, it is imperfect. Legislators andjudges bring their personal views on ethics and morality to the lawmakingprocess. As a result, ethics and law will sometimes conflict.Example 9. Clark is the editor of the Richmond High Herald.Rita tells Clark that another student is selling drugs on campus,but asks Clark not to reveal her identity in his news article or tothe police. Clark agrees. When the article appears and the studentis arrested, Clark has to testify at the trial. He refuses toidentify his source and is held in contempt of court.Clark has obeyed the ethics of journalism by refusing to identifythe source of his story. He has, however, violated the law by refusingto obey the order of a judge.While the law and ethical and social attitudes sometimes conflict,they also influence each other in various ways. Changes in individualor social ethics often prompt changes in the law; conversely, changesin the law that originally face resistance may gradually become generallyaccepted. While our ethical and social attitudes sometimeschange, having law is better than letting each individual set their ownrules or handle disputes in haphazard or even violent ways.Reviewing What You Learned1. Explain how ethical decisions are made.2. How can the greatest good principle leadto ethical decisions?3. How can the Golden Rule lead to ethicaldecisions?4. What are four ethical character traits?5. Analyze the effects of unethical and illegalpractices on a business and on consumers.What are some consequences of suchbehavior?6. Contrast honest or dishonest with legal orillegal business practices. Why are ethicsand the law not always the same?7. How might ethics and the law conflict?Critical Thinking ActivityEthics and Law Why is it important to distinguishbetween actions that are ethical andactions that are not? Why is it important todistinguish between ethics and law?Legal Skills in ActionBusiness Ethics Analyze the effects of unethicaland illegal practices on a business and onconsumers. Create a chart with two columns.In the left column, list several unethical andillegal practices. In the right column, list theeffects of such practices on a business and onconsumers.Chapter 1: Ethics and the Law 13