The Social Enforcement of Morality
43 Pages Posted: 10 Jan 2000
Date Written: July 17, 2003
Abstract
Morality is often depicted as a structure consisting of two concentric spheres: an outer sphere and an inner. The outer sphere is composed of moral requirements whose violation exposes the actor to some permissible social sanction. The inner sphere, in contrast, is composed of moral requirements whose violation is no one else's business, and which are exposed to no permissible sanction at all, other than those brought to bear by the actor's conscience or with the actor's consent. This work-in-progress examines and repudiates this seductive picture.
JEL Classification: K42, Z13
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Edmundson, William A., The Social Enforcement of Morality (July 17, 2003). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=193172 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.193172
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