Explain the difference between morality and the law. Give one example in which an action is deemed morally but not legally wrong and one example in which an action might reasonably be judged legally but not morally wrong.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Solution
Sample Solution
The Difference between Morality and the Law:
Morality and the law are distinct concepts that govern human behavior but operate within different frameworks. While morality refers to a set of principles or values held by individuals or society, the law represents a system of rules established by the government to regulate behavior and maintain order. The following examples illustrate the difference between actions that may be considered morally right but not legally wrong and vice versa:
- Morally Right but Not Legally Wrong:
- Whistleblowing: Consider a scenario where an employee uncovers unethical practices within their company, such as fraud or corruption, and decides to expose the wrongdoing by whistleblowing. Morally, this action may be viewed as right because it serves the greater good and upholds principles such as honesty and integrity. However, depending on legal protections and specific circumstances, the act of whistleblowing might not be explicitly protected or may even be prohibited under certain laws or employment contracts.
- Legally Right but Not Morally Wrong:
- Inheritance Laws: In some legal systems, inheritance laws prioritize the transfer of assets to biological family members or legal heirs. Suppose a wealthy individual decides to distribute their wealth to charities and causes they deeply care about, rather than leaving it to their biological family members. Legally, this action may not align with inheritance laws or expectations. However, from a moral standpoint, the individual’s decision to support charitable causes and make a positive impact on society may be seen as morally right, despite potentially conflicting with legal norms.
These examples demonstrate the distinction between actions that are considered morally right but not legally wrong and actions that may be judged legally correct but not morally right. Morality encompasses personal or societal values and principles, often driven by ethics, empathy, and the pursuit of the greater good. On the other hand, the law represents a set of rules established by the government to maintain order and regulate behavior within a society. While there is often an overlap between morality and the law, instances where actions fall into these distinct categories highlight the complexity and nuances in evaluating human behavior.
