Analytical Positivism – A system that says the law in its self is what makes right, not the ethical, reason or fairness of the law. Pg. 4-5
Deontology – The study of the role of moral duty. In order for an actor’s deeds to be ethical one must judge the circumstances leading up to the act. Pg. 89
Egoist – They believe that individuals are ethically right to act in their own self-interest, w/o regard for the consequences for other people. Pg. 89
Ethics – A branch of philosophy which studies morals. It is concerned with what makes a given conduct morally right or wrong. Pg. 89
Integrity – A person whose behavior is consistent with moral principles is said to have integrity. Pg. 86
Legal Duty – That which the law requires be done or forborne by a determinate person. Breach of a legal duty owed another is one of the elements of negligence. Pg. 287. Barron’s.
Meta-ethics – These scholars have centered on defining ethical terms and developing theories. They have tended to focus on abstract topics, such as identifying the fundamental characteristics of moral behavior. Pg. 88
Misprision – Makes it criminal for a person to fail to tell the authorities of felony of which they have knowledge. Pg. 94.
Moral Duty – An ethical person should be motivated only by a desire to comply with a universally accepted moral duty. Pg. 89
Natural Law – Law “which is so necessarily agrees with the nature and state of man, that w/o preserving its maxims, the peace and happiness of humanity can never be preserved.” Law which is generally understood, i.e. murder is evil. Pg. 331 Barron’s.
Normative Ethics – Applied ethics. Pg. 88
Teleology – The belief that the goodness or badness of an act can not be determined until after the act has been committed, only by examining the effects of the act.
Unjust Enrichment – The doctrine which places a legal duty of restitution upon a defendant who has acquired something of value at the expense of the plaintiff.
Utilitarianism – Really amounts to a system of cost benefit analysis, with the benefit being the pleasure and the cost being the pain.