Euthanasia Evolution Homosexuality Miscellaneous Topics Philosophy Reflections on Life Science Social Issues Theology Email Commentary to a Friend Two Wrongs, Two Rights Gregory Koukl Sign up to receive Solid Ground free. The first suggests a moral obligation, the second an obligation based on reason. Since there are two kinds of oughts, there are two ways to be wrong about something. One can be wrong in that he's irrational, or one can be wrong in that he's unethical.
Morality deals with the latter.
Rational errors can be distinguished from moral wrongs in this way. John Stuart Mill pointed out that moral wrongs are the kinds of things for which punishment seems to be justified. We don't punish someone merely for getting his sums wrong in math. His error would be a rational one, not a moral one. When there is a rational wrong, we correct the error.