How do you know when you or the other person is either right or wrong? Is it possible that both can be right? Or that both can be wrong. Most people have a moral compass whether it is built on the foundation of religion and God or the government and their legislation. When we make decisions either both or at least one of these two foundations will cross our minds and guides us to what is believed to be good and the better option. In the article, The Objective Basis of Morality, Thomas Nagel explains what morality can be and how individuals interpret morality and identifying morality based on their belief system. We consider the laws placed in our lives by the government or God when we think of the consequences that our acts may result in.…show more content… For decades after the American Revolution the African American community were oppressed, dehumanized, enslaved, and treated as nothing more than a piece of property. Many individuals practiced slavery in the southern region of the United States that laws were passed by the federal government to protect the continuous practice of slave owning. Of all the laws created the Fugitive Slave Act was remarkably known across the United States, because they were “federal laws that allowed for the capture and return of runaway slaves within the territory of the United States” (History.com Staff). All local and state government was required by federal law to return a runaway slave to their owner, and one that would defy the law and assisted a runaway slave were imposed a penalty (History.com Staff). Delaney mentions that individuals weren’t even allowed to give an escape slave “a drink of water…and those who dared to do it placed their lives in danger.” Even though it was extremely dangerous to assist a slave the acts were received with much resistance, and many believed that it was right to break the law. In such circumstances when a person is abused and their lives are put in danger it is ethical to break the…show more content… That laws are made for a reason, to maintain safety of the people living in a community, and to protect their belongings. However, people do have to consider that laws are made by humans, bone and flesh, with beliefs and goals, and their own beliefs of what is bad and good and transferred it into a law. Therefore, not laws are goods, lawmaker’s greed, personal visions, beliefs, and avoidance create conflicts can affect the drafting of a law. ¬¬So, some laws are rules are meant to be broken, and sometimes conflict can’t be avoided to fix something that is broken. Like in the case of slavery, war couldn’t to be prevented, and it was the only way to resolve the issue of slavery. Everyone is entitled to have their own opinions and interpretations of what is good and bad. Many factors are taken under consideration when we decide to whether to help someone or not. At times, they are things that we are not willing to risk for others, like being incarcerated for helping a slave escape. We should care and have compassion for others and their situations, but we should never us. Those who didn’t assist slaves escape doesn’t mean they didn’t care, they just couldn’t afford to suffer the consequences of they were caught helping a slave, but that doesn’t mean they are immoral and don’t care about others. There is a sa¬¬ying “don’t set yourself on fire to keep others warm,” so it’s not inhumane to be selfish and
