Suppose That You Know Your Father Has Robbed a Bank. He Didn’t Keep the Money for Himself but Gave It to Some Poor Elderly People Who Live Alone, and Without Sufficient Support, in a Slum Area Nearby. You Know That This Additional Money Was a Great Help

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above the family loyality and show uprightness. I agree that Law helps governing people behavior towards “good”. Yet, we should not treat it as the bible and just follow it without considering other factors. In Western, there is a proverb of saying “ The Law is an ass”. The term “ass” refers to the name of a donkey, and the phrase means that the application of law sometimes is in contrary to common sense. For example, there was a man charged with drunk driving on 25 May 1999, but the "vehicle" in this case was a camel, not an actual car! I cannot understand the decision of the judge as camel is not a vehicle in my sense, but this was a real case. So the law is somehow asinine. Back to the scenario mentioned above, I should not give the information to the authorities just because my father violated the law. In my mother wit, a person who helped the poor should not be punished. Therefore, it is morally justifiable to cover up an unlawful act when the act is in line with our general moral sense because law is not always right.

In conclusion, reporting my father’s illicit act seems to be justness. However, this will violate the virtue of utilitarianism, as the money will be taken back from the poor which reduces their happiness. Also, it will destroy the relationship between ones father and daughter which is against filial piety in Confucius. Moreover, the law is not always fair and I believe a person who helped the needy should not be blamed and put in jail. Therefore, I will complicit with my father in the above case and it is morally justifiable to hide this illegal act.

Reference List:

Nam, S.L.(2016) Fall 2016 HUMA 1000 L3(Sep 23 2016) Powerpoint, P.31

Nam, S.L.(2016) Fall 2016 HUMA 1000 L1(Sep 9 2016) Powerpoint, P.11

Davin Henderson, “The Act and Rule of Utilitarianism”  (2014, September, Western Carolina University, U. S. A.)

http://www.iep.utm.edu/2014/09/

“’Robin Hood’ bank manager accused of stealing to help poor”(16 Nov 2009)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/6581510/Robin-Hood-bank-manager-accused-of-stealing-to-help-poor.html

Jiyuan Yu(2007), “The Ethics of Confucius and Aristotle: Mirrors of Virtue”, New York, Routledge

Fung, Y L(1983). A History of Chinese Philosophy. (Derk Bodde Trans.) Pinceton:Princeton University Press

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The meaning and origin of the expression: The law is an ass

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/the-law-is-an-ass.html

Hall v Police, No. SCGRG-98-1734 Judgment No. S197 [1999] SASC 197 (25 May 1999).

http://www.shazbot.com/lawass/week5case4.html