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Legality is, in general, a matter of fact. The legality or constitutionality of a matter is determined in the courts. Morality is a matter of opinion, and, I
by 11thEarlOfMar 6y ago
Legality is, in general, a matter of fact. The legality or constitutionality of a matter is determined in the courts.
Morality is a matter of opinion, and, I believe, pretty much independent of legality.
That means a law can be both immoral and legal, depending on your perspective.
Policing technology is a constantly evolving marketplace and technologies that strike some as immoral frequently are tested in court where their legality is determined.
Many folks weighing in see the act of developing Stingray technology as an immoral act, and it seems that thereby, those who engage in such development are immoral people.
In my opinion, labeling others as immoral for engaging in something you don't approve of is a double edged sword and the more you wield it, the more jeopardy you put yourself in. Anyone who works for a mainstream technology company can have that same finger pointed at them for some facet of their employer's actions.
People who believe that this technology should not be deployed would find it just, if not moral, to pursue a political change rather than shaming those who see a valid purpose for what they are developing.
- boomboomsubban 6y ago>Legality is, in general, a matter of fact. The legality or constitutionality of a matter is determined in the courts This makes absolutely no sense. If it is a matter of fact, it should be independently provable not require courts to decide. Legality is supposed to be the public's opinion of the morality of an action, but in reality it is the ruling class' opinion of how the action impacts them. An employee knowingly assisting their company commit immoral acts should try to stop them, though a concern about you or your families well-being is a legitimate reason to just try and walk away. Don't delude yourself into thinking tools will be used legally so it is acceptable.
- 11thEarlOfMar 6y ago> Legality is supposed to be the public's opinion of the morality of an action Does that mean that all legal acts are also moral?
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- boomboomsubban 6y agoIndividuals morals differ, but ideally most people should view legal acts as moral acts. As I said, actual legality does not function like that.
- x3n0ph3n3 6y ago> This makes absolutely no sense. If it is a matter of fact, it should be independently provable not require courts to decide. It makes plenty of sense once you realize that it's a fact that if a court decides something is illegal, the government may use its monopoly of force to enforce it. Don't confuse scientific fact with legal fact. Also don't confuse legal fact with a court's opinion as to whether the law was actually violated.
- boomboomsubban 6y agoSupreme Court decisions come with majority and minority opinions because these things are clearly not facts. The government arbitrarily uses it's monopoly on force to entrench itself, leaving these "facts" to differ over time or by case.