CODES OF BEHAVIOUR Laws Codes of behaviour enforced

CODES OF BEHAVIOUR

Laws • Codes of behaviour enforced by the state. • An awareness of what it right and wrong. • Rules direct behaviour in a positive way for the well-being of everyone.

Formal and informal rules • A formal code: • An Informal Code: • A written rule • It’s an unwritten rule. • It’s an official rule that is written down and must be accepted by everyone. • It’s a unofficial rule that is not written down, but is nonetheless accepted by everyone.

Evolution of codes of behaviour • Codes of behaviour develop over time. • They are usually put in place as the result of people’s experiences of certain situations. • What do you think was the background to these rules? • Wearing of seatbelts in cars? • Ban on smoking in public places? • Purchase of pit-bull terriers being disallowed? • The need to have a licence to own a gun?

State Laws • Laws forbid or promote certain behaviour. • Laws are enforced by the state and people must obey them. • There are sanctions if a law is broken.

Moral vision behind state laws. • The Moral vision behind state laws is the idea of the ‘common good’. • The common good influences how the government sees society and how it thinks it should be. • The government makes laws according to they believe is best for the whole population ie: for the common good. • Codes of conduct to back to ancient times, no society ever allowed it’s members unlimited freedom of action.

Codes of conduct • Code of Hammurabi: King of Babylon written almost 4, 000 years old. It is the oldest account known. Severe punishments ensured the strong would not oppress the weak. • Brehon Laws: Ancient Irish law, written down by judges in the 5 th century used until the 16 th c it upheld the values of equality and fairness central to Irish society. • Magna Carta: England in 1215 AD by King John it gave the right to freedom and equality. Its principles form the basis of the constitution and state laws of many countries throughout the world today. • Irish Constitution: 1937 • State Laws: Made by governments to keep order. • Universal declaration of human rights: adopted after WWII it has influenced state laws in many countries and democracies.