Final answer:
The law often takes precedence over individual moral standards, as it is designed to govern behavior in society with established consequences for non-adherence, despite individual or cultural morality variations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question regarding what takes precedent over an individual's moral standards—ethics, guidelines, the law, or none of the above—concerns elements of moral and ethical principles. In the context of societal living, the law often takes precedence over individual moral standards because laws are enacted with the intention of governing behavior in a society with set repercussions for non-compliance. While personal morals and ethics guide individual behavior, laws are overarching rules that individuals in a society are compelled to follow, notwithstanding personal moral beliefs. For instance, ethical theories such as Normative Ethical Relativism suggest that morality can vary based on cultural perspectives, which indicates that individual morality is influenced by the predominant societal norms. Nonetheless, the law can override these individual or cultural moral standards because it serves as a common framework aimed at maintaining order in a society.