Understanding the Difference Between Legal, Moral and Ethical Issues: Ongoing Research in Evaluation and Reassessment

To understand the difference between legal, moral and ethical issues, particularly as they concern the practice of medicine, it is important to distinguish between these three realms of inquiry.

While it is possible to simplify this to some extent, at the same time, one must be aware that each of these realms is broad in scope. In other words, there is on-going research, re-evaluation and re-assessment in each of these areas, during every era and thus, their horizons are continually expanding.    

Legal issues pertain to the law.

We each have a basic understanding of the law, as well as how it concerns us as individuals, couples, families, communities and countries. At times, we look at this from an international perspective. Established laws should not be broken. If or when, they are broken, there may be repercussions, which may include severe punishment. Of course, the interpretation of the law and the enforcement thereof, always presents a certain degree of difficulty, in every part of the world and in every realm of inquiry, including that related to the medical world.

Moral issues involve the concept of right and wrong in terms of a person’s conscience and behavior.

From a western perspective, Christians understand the divine Law or the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament of the Bible, to be the foundation of the moral system. In the New Testament, “the love of God and one another”, sets a broader, moral standard for humankind, based upon the concept of divine love and forgiveness.  

Of course, there are different standards of morality all around the world. These are generally in conjunction with various religious systems and beliefs. Most countries have moral teachings, as well as moral leaders, who instruct and guide their people. Moral issues can be of an individual or collective nature, even in the medical realm of inquiry.

Ethical issues relate to the basic principles that govern individuals or groups. 

In terms of medical ethics, this is the basis for the establishment of guidelines regarding principles and practice, in the realm of medicine. At times, there can be a fine line between legal, moral and ethical issues. This is also true when it comes to medical practice. One must accept the reality that the horizons of legal, moral and ethical issues are continually expanding their horizons in every part of the world.

That also means what the western world regards as legal, moral and ethical may come under severe scrutiny and criticism from people who live in different parts of the world. At the same time, their principles and practice may come under our scrutiny and criticism. This holds true in the realm of medicine.

Global standardization of legal, moral and ethical issues is often difficult to achieve. It becomes even more complex, as the medical realm continues to expand its scientific horizons.   

One must suggest that legal, moral and ethical issues in medical practice are always in process, to some degree. In other words, because these areas are continually subject to new research, ongoing re-evaluation or re-assessment, this results in on-going expansion of their horizons, individually and collectively.

Patients, their families, as well as doctors and other health care professionals everywhere, deal with medical issues that have legal, moral and ethical aspects. It is important to understand how they are unique and yet inter-related, in the medical world.