Лекция: LAW AND MORAL

Laws usually reflect and promote а society's values. Our society's traditional ideas of right and wrong influence our legal system. For example, laws against murder reflect the moral belief that killing another person is wrong. But not everything that is immoral is also illegal. For example, lying to а friend may be immoral but is seldom illegal.

Our legal system tries to achieve many goals.

These include:

— protecting basic human rights;

— promoting fairness;

— helping resolve conflicts;

— promoting order and stability;

— protecting the environment;

— representing the will of the majority;

— protecting the rights of minorities.

Many problems of a society arise conflicts among these goals.

Laws can be based on moral, economic, political, or social values. As values change, so can change laws.

Слова и выражения:

reflect (v) – отражать

ideas of right and wrong – понимание того, что правильно, а что ошибочно

promote (v) – продвигать, поддерживать

а society (n, C/U) - общество

values(n, C/U) – ценности

legal system – юридическая система

influence (n, C/U) – влияние

reflect (v) - отражать

the moral belief – моральные убеждения

fairness (n,U) – честность

to resolve conflicts – разрешать конфликты

order (n, C/U) -порядок

environment (n, C/U) - окружение

immoral (adj) - аморальный

belief(n, C/U) - убеждениe

seldom (adv) - редко

illegal(adj) – не имеющий юридической силы

lying (n) – неправда, обман

protecting basic human rights – защищая основные права человека

to represent the will – представлять волю

majority(n, C/U) - большинство

minority (n, C/U) – меньшинство

II. Ответьте на следующие вопросы.

1.What do lows usually reflect?

2. What influence every legal system?

3. What do lows against murder reflect?

4. Is every immoral action also illegal?

5. What are the goals of legal system?

6. What arise conflicts among the goals?

7. What values can laws be based on?