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Title: Moral Codes and Rules
The moral codes and rules are the basic things that allow us to make a decision based on what we think is right or wrong. Indeed, being merciful and being just are two codes that could sometimes be conflicting in nature but it can be easily justified which of these should be used. Coming to the situation of a thief stealing food from my house and being arrested. There was no harm being done by the thief. The thief wanted to fill his belly which is the right of every individual that is living on this earth. I would never be the one that would deny that right to anyone. In such a case I would be judging on the moral code of mercy.
There is no harm in the actions of a thief because he was doing it on the basis of survival. The situation has not violated the right of another person. In such a case where the decision may affect the other person, the need for being just is essential. If there was a situation in which I had to decide if one person gets priority over another, then I would definitely follow the principle of being just instead of mercy. But since this is an individual case and a matter of basic right of life and necessities, so I would let the matter go and set the thief free. Even though there might be a conflict among the two codes; of being merciful and being just but it is always the right of the victim to decide the outcome. It is my own judgment that this case should not lead to any punishment. Instead, just a small warning would suffice for the thief.
The main theories that I would use in order to resolve the conflict are “Utilitarianism” and “the virtue theory”. Both the theories clearly identify the best thing to do in such cases. The utilitarianism theory informs that the main object of morality is that the amount of happiness is maximized a result of our actions. The virtue theory states that the best thing to do in a situation is that of what a virtuous person would do. Both of these theories point to my decision regarding the matter. Based on the first theory, it is my happiness that I should forgive the thief in light of his petty crime. Secondly, I believe that if left to anyone in the world, the decision regarding such a case would be the same. So any virtuous person would give the decision in favor of the thief. It is not to say that any crime would be left unpunished. It is just decided on the basis of the merit of the case which in this case goes towards the favor of being merciful.
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