Topic > Piracy: Morality, Reproduction and Redistribution of...

Reynolds states that "ethics is a set of beliefs about right and wrong behavior within a society" and most of them are universally understood. Some behaviors such as cheating and lying are commonly considered unethical, but personal opinions on what ethical behavior is can vary greatly. We live in a society that establishes laws and limits of acceptable behavior. These rules and laws are expressed in beliefs about how people should think and behave and are part of what is called a moral code in the functioning of a society. Unfortunately, we all experience times in our lives when we get caught in conflict or uncertainty about which rules to follow. For example, you catch your friend cheating on a test; you may get caught in a conflict between telling the truth or loyalty. Often we don't want to snitch on our friend, so we decide to be loyal to him and keep quiet about the situation. Some of us, however, feel more compelled to tell the truth, so we feel better about ourselves. Occasionally, rules and laws do not cover new situations, so we must determine how to enact new laws or apply them to existing ones. Many ethical issues are not as simple as being right or wrong, but rather involve a choice between right and right (Reynolds, What is Ethics?,