What is the enabling source for ethics, law, and morals?

• A. Ethics: code of ethics; Law: legislation; Morals: religious writings
• B. Ethics: tradition; Law: case law; Morals: social norms
• C. Ethics: executive orders; Law: treaties; Morals: personal preference
• D. Ethics: industry standards; Law: decrees; Morals: custom

Answer: (A)

The sources that enable each domain are distinct and align with how they guide behavior: ethics are grounded in a code of ethics created by professional organizations to set formal standards for behavior; law rests on legislation enacted by government bodies to establish enforceable rules; morals are often anchored in religious writings that provide foundational beliefs about right and wrong. That makes the first option the best fit: a professional code shapes ethics, legislation establishes law, and religious writings commonly underlie moral principles. The other choices mix sources that aren’t considered the primary, formal origins for these areas—tradition or social norms, case law, executive orders, treaties, or personal preference, etc.—in the same clear, defining way.