Q.1 What is the main difference between law and morality?
Law is enforced by the state, morality is enforced by society
Law is universal, morality is personal
Law never changes, morality always changes
Law is private, morality is public
Explanation - Laws are backed by state authority and sanctions, whereas morality is enforced through social pressure and conscience.
Correct answer is: Law is enforced by the state, morality is enforced by society
Q.2 Which of the following is an example of a moral obligation but not a legal one?
Paying taxes
Keeping a promise
Following traffic rules
Filing income returns
Explanation - Promises are generally moral duties unless formalized in contracts; the law doesn’t enforce all promises.
Correct answer is: Keeping a promise
Q.3 Who is a key philosopher associated with the separation of law and morality?
Immanuel Kant
H.L.A. Hart
Plato
John Locke
Explanation - H.L.A. Hart emphasized legal positivism, which separates law from morality.
Correct answer is: H.L.A. Hart
Q.4 Natural law theory suggests that:
Law is separate from morality
Law must be based on universal moral principles
Law is what the government commands
Law has no moral basis
Explanation - Natural law theory argues that laws derive their validity from moral standards inherent in nature or reason.
Correct answer is: Law must be based on universal moral principles
Q.5 Which of the following reflects a conflict between law and morality?
A law prohibiting theft
A law requiring payment of debts
A law enforcing racial segregation
A law against murder
Explanation - Segregation laws were legally valid in some jurisdictions but considered immoral by many.
Correct answer is: A law enforcing racial segregation
Q.6 Who argued that 'an unjust law is no law at all'?
Thomas Aquinas
Jeremy Bentham
Hans Kelsen
H.L.A. Hart
Explanation - Aquinas, a natural law theorist, believed unjust laws lack true legal validity.
Correct answer is: Thomas Aquinas
Q.7 Which school of thought emphasizes law as a command of the sovereign regardless of morality?
Natural law school
Legal positivism
Historical school
Sociological jurisprudence
Explanation - Legal positivism separates law from morality and stresses the authority of the sovereign.
Correct answer is: Legal positivism
Q.8 Morality is primarily enforced through:
Police and courts
Social approval and disapproval
Parliament
Judiciary
Explanation - Morality is maintained through societal norms, not formal institutions.
Correct answer is: Social approval and disapproval
Q.9 What is an example where law and morality overlap?
Prohibition of murder
Choosing a religion
Politeness in conversation
Personal dress code
Explanation - Both law and morality prohibit murder, showing overlap between them.
Correct answer is: Prohibition of murder
Q.10 Jeremy Bentham criticized natural law by calling it:
The perfection of reason
Nonsense upon stilts
A divine command
The foundation of justice
Explanation - Bentham rejected natural law theory, dismissing it as 'nonsense upon stilts.'
Correct answer is: Nonsense upon stilts
Q.11 Which of the following is primarily a moral wrong but not always a legal wrong?
Lying to a friend
Stealing property
Drunk driving
Tax evasion
Explanation - Lying is morally wrong, but not always punishable by law unless it involves fraud or defamation.
Correct answer is: Lying to a friend
Q.12 Who believed that morality is essential for law to be just?
Hans Kelsen
H.L.A. Hart
Thomas Aquinas
Jeremy Bentham
Explanation - Aquinas argued that law must align with morality to have legitimacy.
Correct answer is: Thomas Aquinas
Q.13 Which thinker proposed the idea of 'minimum content of natural law'?
Lon Fuller
H.L.A. Hart
John Austin
Plato
Explanation - Hart suggested that certain moral rules are essential for the survival of society.
Correct answer is: H.L.A. Hart
Q.14 What is the main criticism of legal positivism?
It ignores the role of morality in law
It overemphasizes divine law
It rejects the authority of the state
It supports only ancient traditions
Explanation - Critics argue that positivism reduces law to mere commands without moral legitimacy.
Correct answer is: It ignores the role of morality in law
Q.15 Which concept argues that moral values change over time and vary by culture?
Moral relativism
Natural law
Legal positivism
Divine command theory
Explanation - Moral relativism highlights that morality is not absolute but culturally dependent.
Correct answer is: Moral relativism
Q.16 Lon Fuller’s theory of law emphasized:
Law as a system of rules independent of morality
The inner morality of law
Law as a command of the sovereign
Law based only on custom
Explanation - Fuller argued that laws must meet certain moral standards to be valid.
Correct answer is: The inner morality of law
Q.17 Which of these is an example of a law that is considered morally controversial?
Law against theft
Law permitting capital punishment
Law on contracts
Law on traffic signals
Explanation - Capital punishment is legally allowed in many countries but morally debated.
Correct answer is: Law permitting capital punishment
Q.18 Why is morality often considered broader than law?
Because morality is written, law is not
Because morality covers personal behavior beyond legal rules
Because morality is always fixed
Because morality is enforced by the police
Explanation - Morality governs a wider range of human conduct, while law covers limited areas.
Correct answer is: Because morality covers personal behavior beyond legal rules
Q.19 Civil disobedience often reflects:
Obedience to unjust laws
Conflict between morality and law
Total separation of law and morality
Blind adherence to authority
Explanation - Civil disobedience arises when individuals resist laws they consider immoral.
Correct answer is: Conflict between morality and law
Q.20 Who among the following emphasized 'utilitarianism' in assessing morality and law?
Jeremy Bentham
Thomas Aquinas
Plato
Lon Fuller
Explanation - Bentham promoted utilitarianism, judging laws by their ability to maximize happiness.
Correct answer is: Jeremy Bentham
Q.21 What is the relationship between law and morality in a democratic society?
Law always ignores morality
Law often reflects shared moral values
Law and morality are always identical
Law is above morality
Explanation - In democracies, laws are usually shaped by prevailing moral standards.
Correct answer is: Law often reflects shared moral values
Q.22 Which of the following is NOT an example of moral enforcement?
Social criticism
Religious guidance
Judicial punishment
Family disapproval
Explanation - Judicial punishment is part of legal enforcement, not moral enforcement.
Correct answer is: Judicial punishment
Q.23 Hans Kelsen’s 'Pure Theory of Law' insists that:
Law and morality must be connected
Law should be free from moral and political influences
Law is based on divine morality
Law exists only through social customs
Explanation - Kelsen argued that law must be studied in its pure form, independent of morality.
Correct answer is: Law should be free from moral and political influences
Q.24 Which of these reflects a moral choice without legal consequences?
Donating to charity
Paying taxes
Following labor laws
Obeying traffic lights
Explanation - Charity is encouraged morally but not legally required in most legal systems.
Correct answer is: Donating to charity
Q.25 Why can immoral laws still be valid?
Because validity is based on morality
Because legal systems define validity by procedure, not morality
Because morality always follows law
Because all laws are moral
Explanation - In legal positivism, a law is valid if made according to proper procedures, regardless of morality.
Correct answer is: Because legal systems define validity by procedure, not morality