Is breaking the law ever morally justified???

Question

Would you steak to survive?? Would you kill someone to save someone else??

Answer 1

Yes, a good example are those in Europe who hid the Jews from the Nazis. It was against the law and they faced death themselves if caught, but they did the morally right thing. Laws are created by men and therefore can be corrupt.

Answer 2

"Is breaking the law ever morally justified???" Yes, of course. For example, to save Jews in Nazi Germany. Or, for a less extreme example, if the government banned bibles, or nearly any book for that matter, it would be morally justified to buy and sell it on the black market.

"Would you steal to survive??" No, at least not except in the most emergent situation, like a house is on fire, and I need to steal a bucket. I would then have to repay later.

"Would you kill someone to save someone else??" I assume you mean "kill an innocent someone," for otherwise the answer is trivial unless one is a pure pacifist. That is, I would certainly kill someone in self-defense or in defense of another person. But as for killing innocents, no. E.g., some might argue that society is better if you kill a healthy vagrant and parcel out his body parts to others in need. But wrong wrong wrong.

Answer 3

Yes, occasionally breaking the law is moral.
I would be compelled to steal if the alternative was death.
I would kill someone in order to save someone that I love, if the someone else was a stranger, I would probably only kill someone to save the life of a child, or an innocent victim. That one is a little more complicated, because you didn't give any info about the people I'd be saving or killing, but yes, under certain circumstances, I think I could.

Answer 4

Is it immoral to go 26 in a 25?
Is it immoral to cross the double-yellow line when you're making a turn?
Is it immoral to run a red light in the middle of nowhere with a long-range view of the road?

So is it ever justified? yes. Is there a limit? Yes. There's always more than one way out of a situation. When will it ever be streak to survive? or shoot someone in the brain to save someone else instead of wounding them or being aware to avoid that situation in the first place.

Answer 5

Of course it can be morally justified, not only are there a lot of moral systems, some of witch may seem strange and are in direct opposition to the local law.

For instance, in almost all America polygamy is illegal, except for some indigenous and religious communityes that have a different social system. This is accepted as justified by their traditions, even if it is in direct violation of the current local law.

Even the law itself tends to consider exception cases, for instance, it would not be murder to kill somebody if ordered to do so in time of war, liberties have been suspended for a number of reasons (some of them even untrue), and a lot of other cases.

In fact, i think that it would be more interesting to ask if any law can be universally endorsed or if all of them are relative to the needs of society.

Answer 6

If you break the law in any way, shape, or form there will be a consequence. Whether it be public service volunteering or time in jail. But there must be some cases where the law was broken for a good cause. If those cases were taken to court, then the jury decides what is guilty or not. Ultimately the sentencing would not be bad or the consequences could even be alleviated. It depends on the specific case really.

Answer 7

some times it is justified. A law come in to being because of certain situations. these situations themselves might change drastically. then there will not be any meaning in sticking with the old law. then there may be laws forced on people by a conqueror.
a law enforcer doesn't need to give explanations. but law breaker always has to explain . giving him a chance to explain implies it could be justified some time, right?
some time laws get amended or repealed , right? it shows a law is not always right .

Answer 8

It can be. there is such a thing as justifiable homicide. Also, the Civil Rights Marches in the '60's were illegal acts to protest unjust laws. But courts are very reluctant to find someone morally justified in committing a crime, because it can start the 'slippery slope' in which more and more exceptions are made, which can lead to those exceptions being more and more ridiculous.

Answer 9

There are reasons to break the law, if the law itself is immoral. Slavery was immoral, but to free a slave was against the law. The real issue of your question is what personally is considered as "moral". The morality of the majority may not be the same as the morals of an individual. Your question is answered by me as "it depends".

Answer 10

Breaking the law can be justifiable in many cases. In fact, often times it's the laws that are morally reprehensible.