What is an example of legal but not ethical?
Asked by: Mrs. Tamia Schamberger | Last update: January 12, 2026Score: 4.4/5 (45 votes)
Conversely, a decision can adhere to certain bodies of law but be seen as unethical. For example, some countries do not have laws that prohibit trading while in the possession of insider knowledge. Thus, while it may be legal to trade under these circumstances, it is considered by many to be highly unethical.
What is an example of something legal but not ethical?
So, trying to avoid paying taxes can't be moral, but there are many legal ways to get away with it – so it's legal, but immoral. Our own history offers the best and saddest example. Before the Civil War, slavery was legal in the U.S., but certainly not moral.
What is legal is not always ethical.?
An ethical obligation, in other words, might be reflected in legal rules, but not all wrong actions are illegal by definition. New legislation does not always deal with ethical issues and will not always follow moral standards, since public order and regulation of behavior outweigh normative ethics.
What is an example of legally right but morally wrong?
Another example of legally right but morally wrong behavior is cutting corners on the quality of service you provide to your clients. Some businesses may try to save time, labor, or resources by skipping some tasks or using substandard materials or equipment.
What is an example of a legal and ethical violation?
A classic example is stealing to feed your family. Stealing is legally and ethically wrong, but if your family is starving it might be morally justified (Noel-Weiss et al., 2012).
Ethical but not Legal and Legal but not Ethical Conducts - It May be Legal, but Is It Ethical ! ✅
Can an action be legal but unethical?
Just because something is immoral does not make it illegal and just because something is illegal it does not make it immoral. Not all immoral acts are illegal. Some immoral acts are legally permissible.
What is an example of law vs ethics?
Consider, for example, situations where an action is illegal, but arguably ethical - e.g., robbing a bank to feed a family in need. Yet other situations exist that are not per se illegal, but arguably unethical - e.g., lying, breaking a promise or betraying a confidence.
What is something legal but immoral?
The outlawing of abortion later than 6 weeks is but one of many examples of this kind of law. It is legal to deny people who are pregnant bodily autonomy and force them to give birth, but it is in no way ethical.
What is an example of a law not based on morality?
For instance, the law tells us to drive on the right side of the road. Notice, this sort of law has nothing to do with morality as it is no more moral for the law to tell us to drive on the right side of the road as it would be if the law said to drive on the left side of the road (as in England).
Can something be ethical but illegal?
Ethical, but Illegal
Going back to ethical vs. legal standards dilemma, a decision can be ethical but violate certain laws. A common example of this is “whistleblowing,” or an individual's disclosure of dishonest, corrupt or illegal activity.
What is an example of legal but unethical in healthcare?
Something can be unethical but perfectly legal. For example: if the emergency room is constantly backlogged, it's not legally required for the healthcare facility or hospital administrators to speed up their work.
Is it possible for a business to behave legally but not ethically?
Yes, it is possible for a business to behave legally but not ethically. Explanation: Legality and ethics are two distinct concepts. Legality refers to actions that adhere to the laws established by a governing body, while ethics pertains to moral principles and values that guide behavior.
What are some unethical laws?
Segregation laws and slavery laws I think most people would consider to be unethical in this day and age. Anti-drug laws, alimony laws, affirmative action laws, taxation laws, and many (if not all) regulatory laws could be considered unethical, again, depending on the system of ethics that you adhere to.
What practices and actions may be legal but unethical?
Some practices may be legal but unethical such as; breaking confidence or romantic relationships with an adult. Some are both illegal and unethical such as; misrepresenting a skill, or stealing from a clients home.
What is ethical may not be legal?
The difference
Legality means an act is in accordance with the law. Ethics is about concepts of right and wrong behaviour. Some actions may be legal but in some people's opinion not ethical. For example, testing medicines on animals is legal in many countries but some people believe it is not ethical.
What is an example of unethical?
Deliberate Dishonesty in the Workplace
Asking for recognition for someone else's job, calling in sick to go to the hill station, sabotaging someone else's work, and, in sales, falsifying the product or service to fulfill the target are all examples of unethical behavior in the workplace.
What is an example of something morally right but unlawful?
Here are some examples of actions that are illegal but are thought to be moral (for many)! Drinking under age. Driving over the speed limit. Smoking marijuana.
Why is stealing morally wrong?
From a deontological perspective, stealing is considered morally wrong because it violates the principle of respect for property rights and undermines the social contract that maintains order in society.
What is an example of immoral acts?
Immorality is often called wickedness and is a state avoided by good people. Since morality refers to things that are right, immorality has to do with things that are wrong — like stealing, lying, and murdering.
What is an example of not everything legal is moral?
Two obvious examples: “pro-lifers” don't consider abortion to be moral even though it is legal, while the pro-euthanasia crowd doesn't consider assisted suicide to be immoral simply because it is almost always illegal. Both groups simply reject the morality of the laws in question.
What is morally illegal?
'Unethical' defines as something that is morally wrong, whilst something being 'illegal' means it is against the law. In an illegal act, the decision-making factor is the law. For an unethical act, the deciding agent is the man's own conscience. An unethical deed may be against morality but not against the law.
What is the legal definition of immoral?
Definition and Citations:
Contrary to good morals; Inconsistent with the rules and principles ofmorality which regard men as living in a community, and which are necessary for thepublic welfare, order, and decency.
What are some examples of where law and morality differ?
For one, the law is binary, which means that an action is either legal or illegal. But, morality is full of gray areas. For example, stealing bread is unlawful regardless of motivations, but most people are more sympathetic if it was done to feed starving orphans than as a random act of robbery.
What is not considered ethical conduct?
Unethical: “A student used plagiarism on their final written assignment to get a higher grade” This is unethical because it goes against social norms and the majority of the people would find this act unacceptable.
What is the difference between legal and ethical?
Legality means an act according to the law, while ethics is about right and wrong behaviour. This means that some actions might be legal but, in some people's opinion, not ethical. Legality has its basis in ethics, while ethics has its basis in morals.