Why is it that the general public considers bribery to be immoral?

Question

Use ethical theories or philosophies to explain your answer.

Answer 1

I'm sure there are different reasons for different people. For many, the reason is that bribery simply defies the concept of fairness. When bribing another person, or group of people, to gain something in return, essentially the briber is getting special treatment, even though they may not be deserving of the special treatment - at least no more deserving than the next person.

Other people may include spiritual reasons for considering bribery immoral. I don't know about the details of most religious books, but I do know the Bible does not promote bribery.

Just my thoughts...

Answer 2

Bribing an official is illegal. The basis has it's roots long, tentacles span out centuries. It comes from the Kings/Dictators court. Removal of bribery is an attempt to keep both sides honest without alterior motive or incentive. Pursuasion or discourse. Judges are held in honor, their position deems equal with transportation of integrity. Brought about in an age when overthrowing the King/government was done with bribery. When our government was established it was with the intent to remove those elements. It is one of the things the founding fathers did not like about the home land and wanted very much to try a government that did not have it from inception. Philosophically speaking bribing tilts the scales. It incurs an expense at the other parties behalf therfore rendering justice impossible. Our laws are latin batin based. Take Habis corpus for instance if you had bribery involved what would there to be to defend the person would be guilty it matters not of what. In modern times bribing an official/law enforcement or any member of the court also puts the plaintiff in a huge risk of being non integral. Placing doubt, and how does our law read to be guilty you must be guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If you have any doubt that person is innocent. It is the one thing in our law system that I truly hope remains as it is written now. Good luck in your quest for revolation in this area.

Answer 3

Bribery implies that a person performs an act in favor of another person due to financial gain, usually in reference to law enforcement personnel or elected officials. To receive money to perform an illegal service to a person that is in conflict with the duties that you are supposed to perform is illegal, unethical and immoral. If laws can be circumvented by an amount of money, then the law has no standing and anarchy is inevitable among the wealthy, at the expense of the poor. Not a real good social model.

Answer 4

I suppose I'll address the issue of the public official taking bribes. Tax dollars go to pay for the public service of civil servants such as engineers and police to keep the public safe.

Accepting private contributions to alter decisions on what's best for the public jeapordizes public safety for private gain. Since many of these positions are not publicly elected, that leaves society with no recourse other than litigation, and that's not often possible until after a tragedy occurs.

Answer 5

There is no universal morality. So it would depend on what particular set of moral values you think the "general public" follows. Bribery would be immoral if it violated those general moral code you are assuming apply to the general public.

The only other way to analyze it is to consider bribery as a form of oath-breaking. If the person promised (professional oath) to behave a certain way, and then took money to behave differently, that is a violation of their oath.

And pretty much all religions (hence almost all moral codes) disapprove of oath-breaking.

Answer 6

Humans must strive to be better than they are, and to follow their own principles. Bribery compromises our beliefs for the sake of improving ourselves. In other words, this makes us selfish and noncontributing toward the common good.

Answer 7

the romans bribed in bibical days. Napoleons 2nd in command was bribed, thus causinf the N's dwnfall, & in modern times, the moonshiners bribed the police in New York City

Answer 8

because it IS
It gives people ulterior motives to act inapproptiately, unfairly or even against their OWN best interests.