Do you need a law to behave

[Balagor]

We vote for politicians, politicians vote for laws, and we obey the laws, somtimes.

Are the laws nessecery for YOU to behave, or do you have some fundamental standards

that, if you follow them you will be able to live together with other people.

Remember the Lawful Good and Chaotic Good system from Baldurs gate.

I think I can place my self in the Chaotic Good system i.e. I can tell good from bad, but

I don´t need a law to tell me.

Their are some certain fundamental standards known to all, like killing/stealing/cheating/lying

is a bad behavior. So we don´t need laws to tell us that. We know already. Or do we?

[dezdimona]

No,I personally don't. I was raised to know right from wrong.I was taught ethics and decency and to trear others as I myself would want to be treated.

I would never murder,rape,steal or molest a child nor hurt an animal,those people are sub-human and society should eliminate them all.

[myrmaad]

Apparently you've never led a classroom or raised a child, if you have to ask this question.

[stars2heaven]

We vote for politicians, politicians vote for laws, and we obey the laws, somtimes.

Are the laws nessecery for YOU to behave, or do you have some fundamental standards

that, if you follow them you will be able to live together with other people.

 

Laws arent necessary for anyone to "behave". As social creatures who generaly need cooperation with atleast another of our species for survival we instinctually "bahave" atleast some of the time. As do all creatures. Presumably, laws only exist to maintain social order by discouraging "misbehavior".

 

 

Remember the Lawful Good and Chaotic Good system from Baldurs gate.

I think I can place my self in the Chaotic Good system i.e. I can tell good from bad, but

I don´t need a law to tell me.

Their are some certain fundamental standards known to all, like killing/stealing/cheating/lying

is a bad behavior. So we don´t need laws to tell us that. We know already. Or do we?

 

I disagree that anyone knows these things. If we were not taught not to do them, most people would do them when doing them suited their own ends. For those who wouldnt, it is either that they never gain the opportunity or, upon reflection, determine that such behavior is not in their best interest.

[Pushkatu]

I respect thier rules and I respect my rules, but sometimes, when I'm forced to brake my own rules in order to respect theirs...well,......... then I get some sleep and forget all about it.

[Sharkull]

I have a strong moral compass that guides me ethically. I don't always follow its direction (I am human after all), but I try to come as close as I can. If I don't try my best, then I lose respect for myself, and that is a slippery slope nobody wants to go down.

 

Really, morals pertain to values, and values are subjective. Laws are an attempt to objectify moral standards to be in line with what is commonly seen as what's best for society. Civil order is important, and the rule of law is necessary accordingly. That being said, justice is not as simple as a rule book (set of laws).

[Marcus Wolfe]

The morality system you speak of actually originated in DND, and I can sum it up in 3 pics:

http://ironic1.com/dnd_alignment.jpg

http://www.halolz.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/dnd-tf2.jpg

http://bulk.destructoid.com/ul/user/3/37008-139466-alignmentstu2jpg-620x.jpg

 

Analyze this, and discuss further.

[Derkins]

I belive it depends on the person if there were no laws in place I honstly would have killed a few people. Only for one reason of what they had done as most of them would be the chiled mollesters or child beaters or wife beaters. I can not stand for this and if there was no law agenst murder they would be dead by my hand. That is how I feel though and thats what I think should happen in life right now. I do not think those people should be allowed to live in jail knowing they are going to get fead and have a roof over their heads. Hell both of those certines have been takin away from me from time to time why should someone who think its fun to beat childeren given the luxury of three square meals and a roof over their head they know they wont get evected from.

But thats beside the point I would say if there were no laws I would still behave and act the way I do the biggest difference being I would have killed a few people who righly deserved to die.

Thats my view take it or leave it.

[jaosals42]

I'm pretty good at maintaining myself in general (I'd never plan on killing someone or robbing), but I am known in my life to have a pretty short temper. Were there no laws, I'd be getting into aggressive arguements all the time. However, I'd never try and actually want to kill another person if that happened.

 

For sure though, I was more short-tempered when I was much younger.

[ginnyfizz]

No,I personally don't. I was raised to know right from wrong.I was taught ethics and decency and to trear others as I myself would want to be treated.

I would never murder,rape,steal or molest a child nor hurt an animal,those people are sub-human and society should eliminate them all.

 

Neither would I do any of these things, although I believe that in certain circumstances I could kill in self defence or in defence of another person, but I feel very uncomfortable with any assertion describing people as sub-human and stating that society should eliminate them all. The Nazis used that as an excuse to eliminate members of their society because they happened to be Jews, gypsies, Slavs or homosexual.

 

I believe society does need laws to function, but proportion has to be maintained, and new laws should not be promulgated as a knee-jerk reaction to events. The war on terror is being used as an excuse for all manner of new laws that are an assault on liberty - in the UK for example, Habeas Corpus has been virtually abolished, due to the fact that so called terror suspects (for which read, anyone who merely embarasses the Government, without any violence being involved...) can be held without charge for up to 42 days, incommunicado. Mother of the Free, my ***