Notes: Ethics: Nature & Scope of Ethics
[This write-up is prepared primarily on the basis of the IGNOU Study material on Philosophy-Ethics and certain other materials and is provided here for academic reference for students. No originality, authorship or copyright to the above is claimed.] I. Introduction A. What we Mean by Moral Law? 1. Positive Law Before embarking on this question, two things: Moral law is called ‘law’ only metaphorically, or if one prefers, analogically. Primary meaning of law or positive law is “ a rule of action, promulgated by him/her who is in charge of a community in view of the common good ”. If the legislator is considered to be God, it is divine positive law ; if the legislator is human person, and it is human positive law . Human positive law can further be subdivided according to what the common good aimed at (e.g. civil law, criminal law, commercial law, etc.) In a case, a positive law lays down ...