The Examination of the Relationship between Law and Morality from a Legal Philosophy Perspective: A Return to the Interpretation of Law as Intergrity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.6918/IJOSSER.202503_8(3).0022Keywords:
Philosophy of law; Law; Morality; Law as intergrity.Abstract
The relationship between law and morality is one of the core issues in the philosophy of law. Dworkin's proposition of the integrity of law provides us with a unique perspective. In Dworkin's view, law is not only a single system composed of rules, but also a holistic system full of value judgments and moral considerations. He proposed that "law is not only a collection of facts, but also the embodiment of moral requirements", which broke through the traditional legal positivism and closely linked the application of law with moral standards. Dworkin advocated that the law should be interpreted in conjunction with moral concepts in specific cases, especially when the legal rules are incomplete and there is ambiguity, judges must make judgments based on moral principles such as justice and fairness. This view emphasizes the moral component of legal decisions, arguing that the law is not merely to resolve disputes by mechanically applying rules, but to "interpret" the law so that it is consistent with the moral values of society. However, Dworkin's holistic proposition is not that law is entirely determined by morality, but that moral values should play an important role in the process of legal interpretation. He believes that legal rules and moral norms complement each other, and that moral requirements and legal rules in the legal system are not opposed to each other, but are unified through an interpretative practice. In this way, Dworkin provides a bridge to understanding the relationship between law and morality, highlighting the close integration of reason and ethics in the rule of law. The significance of this proposition is to remind us that the legitimacy of law not only depends on formal compliance, but also depends on deep moral judgment, and the perfection of the rule of law needs to find a balance between morality and law.
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References
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