UPSC Mains 2016 · GS IV · Q5 · 10 marks · 150 words

Law and ethics are considered to be the two tools for controlling human conduct so as to make it conducive to civilized social existence. (a) Discuss how they achieve this objective. (b) Giving examples, show how the two differ in their approaches.

हिन्दी में

विधि एवं आचारनीति मानव आचरण को नियन्त्रित करने वाले दो उपकरण माने जाते हैं ताकि आचरण को सभ्य सामाजिक अस्तित्व के लिए सहायक बनाया जा सके । (a) चर्चा कीजिए कि वे इस उद्देश्य की किस प्रकार पूर्ति करते हैं । (b) उदाहरण देते हुए यह बताइए कि ये दोनों अपने उपागमों में किस प्रकार एक-दूसरे से भिन्न हैं ।

Law and Morality Sources of Ethical Guidance

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “What is the relationship between Ethics and Law? Explain with examples.”

Vishakha YadavAIR 6 · CSE 2019 · 158 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening · a definition

Law is the statement of the reasons designed to achieve common good in the society under the command of the sovereign. Ethics acts as a moral compass in formulation, regulation and implementation of the laws.

Body · points

Diagram

Laws / \ / \ Ethical / \ Conscience Guidance ---------> Human conduct

Relationship between them

(1) Ethical compass is the major source of regulation of the Law. Ex: The Income Tax Act 1961 puts an onus to pay taxes for broader welfare functions by state but people misuse and escape by loopholes. Thus, legal but not ethical.

(2) Laws act as external check and ethics an internal guide for human conduct. Eg: The Traffic rules formulation where people tend to escape and violate by bribing, paying challans, whereas a moral person would tend to follow diligently.

(3) It puts contractual and moral obligation on law makers to formulate laws responsibly and morally. (Eg: Aadhar act balancing privacy and socio-eco welfare.

Close · a quotation

In the end we can quote Aristotle “Law isn't needed if people are abiding”

How toppers approach this question, and more on its topic: open the question.

Toppers’ answers to other close questions

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Main) Examination 2016, General Studies Paper IV, Q5. The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.