I was reading Nathan Lowell’s book “Milk Run” this morning when I came across this observation… “Remember three things. Right, wrong, and the law. one of those things doesn’t belong,” which he then clarified thusly, “Right and wrong are moral concepts…The law is a human construction.”
In essence I saw this as saying that the law serves as a grey bridge between the black and white of absolute morality. For examples;
- Taking a life is wrong so the concept of capital punishment allows society to legally do so under specific circumstances.
- Taking a persons’ money is wrong yet the law allows fines to be imposed to do the same thing legally.
- Taking another persons land is wrong but it is allowed “for the greater good” through eminent domain.
- depriving a person of freedom is wrong but the law allows for imprisonment under certain circumstances.
Feel free to add your own thoughts, this has definitely made me curious.
Lunar Base One 