When Morality Clashes with Logical Law and Implicit Ethics: The Rise of “Moral-Ethics”
Beyond the Rulebook: Why “Moral-Ethics” Must Guide Our Professions and Our Lives
Introduction: We often assume that laws and professional ethics are designed to ensure justice and protect the public. But what if they sometimes fall short, or even perpetuate harm? Dr. Adam O’Brien introduces a powerful concept: “Moral-Ethics,” a higher standard that he argues should supersede conventional “Legal-Ethics” and a “Nation of Laws” because America has become her parents (HERE). This idea challenges us to consider where true authority and responsibility lie, but also who is really in charge; and suggests who should be.
The Problem with “Legal-Ethics”: As the war on drugs is ending and we can ask AI to create equal society, O’Brien contends that “laws aren’t neutral; They’re tools” for those who often used for control rather than genuine justice, as power corrupts. He suggests that professions, particularly those with a “moral character clause” in their licensure, are compromised when they prioritize legal compliance and ethical matters over a deeper moral compass. He argues that “to be moral is to be unethical for the right ethical reasons, but is usually against the law.” This provocative statement implies that sometimes, doing the right thing means going against established rules.
What is “Moral-Ethics”? For O’Brien, “morality comes from emotional maturity and spiritual development.” When the field of psychology offers the practice of law its clinical appraisal (HERE), what would be their counterargument to Kohlberg, Piaget, and Erikson? Moral maturity is the innate sense of right and wrong, rooted in wisdom and a commitment to collective well-being. He believes that true professional legitimacy, and even governmental authority, should stem from adherence to this higher moral standard. When laws or professional codes contradict “Moral-Ethics,” they lose their legitimacy and contribute to societal “sickness.”
Challenging the Status Quo: This concept has profound implications. It suggests that citizens and professionals have a moral imperative to dissent from unjust laws or practices. O’Brien invokes Castle Rock v. Gonzales, arguing that if the government isn’t responsible for harm it didn’t directly create, then if a direct link was made, then citizens aren’t responsible for supporting political policies or science that violate “common sense, common practice, common decency, moral conscience, qualitative science, and citizens Moral-Ethics.” Ergo, mandating citizens to follow one science over another is a good example of how they are enabling law and ethics over morals.
The “Recovery Healer” and Moral Authority: This framework also lays the groundwork for O’Brien’s proposed “Recovery Healer” profession. These healers, he argues, embody this higher moral standard, capable of discerning “who is sick and who is not” within societal structures. Their authority comes not from legal decrees, but from lived experience, deep healing, and an “unconscious informed consent” from a collective spiritual source.
Key Takeaway: The concept of “Moral-Ethics” forces us to critically examine the foundations of our legal and professional systems. It asks whether they truly serve justice and healing, or if they are perpetuating patterns of control and denial. It’s a call to elevate our collective moral compass above mere legal compliance.
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References
O’Brien, A. (2023a). Addiction as Trauma-Related Dissociation: A Phenomenological Investigation of the Addictive State. International University of Graduate Studies. (Dissertation). Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/courses/addiction-as-dissociation-model-course/
O’Brien, A. (2023b). Memory Reconsolidation in Psychedelics Therapy. In Path of the Wounded Healer: A Dissociative-Focused Phase Model for Normative and Pathological States of Consciousness: Training Manual and Guide. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/courses/addiction-as-dissociation-model-course/
O’Brien, A. (2023c). Path of the Wounded Healer: A Dissociative-Focused Phase Model for Normative and Pathological States of Consciousness: Training Manual and Guide. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/
O’Brien, A. (2024a). Healer and Healing: The re-education of the healer and healing professions as an advocation. Re-educational and Training Manual and Guide. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/
O’Brien, A. (2024e). Path of the Wounded Healers for Thrivers: Perfectionism, Altruism, and Ambition Addictions; Re-education and training manual for Abusers, Activists, Batterers, Bullies, Enablers, Killers, Narcissists, Offenders, Parents, Perpetrators, and Warriors. Re-Education and Training Manual and Guide. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/
O’Brien, A. (2025). American Made Addiction Recovery: a healer’s journey through professional recovery. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/
