Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Moral necessity is when someone feels they have a duty to act in a certain way, even if it means doing something that might be considered wrong. For example, if someone sees a person drowning and the only way to save them is by breaking into a nearby house to get a life-saving tool, they may feel a moral necessity to do so. This is different from physical necessity, which is when someone is forced to act a certain way because of a tangible force, like a strong wind pushing them in a certain direction.
Definition: Moral necessity is a type of necessity that arises from a duty that a person has to act in a particular way.
For example, if a person sees someone drowning in a river, they have a moral duty to try and save them. In this situation, the person may feel a moral necessity to jump into the river and try to rescue the drowning person.
Moral necessity is different from physical necessity, which involves a tangible force that compels a person to act in a particular way. It is also different from private necessity, which involves only the defendant's personal interest and provides only a limited privilege, and public necessity, which involves the public interest and completely excuses the defendant's liability.
Overall, moral necessity is a type of necessity that arises from a person's moral duty to act in a particular way, even if it involves some risk or harm to themselves or others.