INDIVIDUAL OBLIGATION AND THE LAW An Essay on "Do the Right Thing".

Authors

  • Samuel A. Richmond Professor of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy, Cleveland State University Cleveland OH

Abstract

Respect for law arises out of our respect for each other Laws that foster and protect our humanity are worthy of our respect and win our loyalty and obedience. But even when law fails to win in the court of my conscience I respect it if it wins support from the consciences of other persons. For there are times when I wish them to obey a law my conscience supports even though their conscience may view it as unnecessarily burdensome. Hence, whether this law would be supported by other members of the profession and the community at large is relevant to whether it deserves Houston's obedience The Social Work Profession is perhaps unique in that it advocates for those not well served by the law; and we rely on its members to protect our humanity and personality in the dark place of the law. This essay's brief survey of theoretical perspectives on the nature of law and individual obligation suggests that one ought not to take law at face value, but to examine the structure of its actual political, economic and social context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]


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Published

2014-06-13

How to Cite

Richmond, S. A. (2014). INDIVIDUAL OBLIGATION AND THE LAW An Essay on "Do the Right Thing". Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 2(3), 18–22. Retrieved from https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/438

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Section

General Submissions