FEATURES OF ETHICS (5:09 PM)

• Ethics never dictates any single course of action however, it provides/ prescribes the means to evaluate possible actions Concerning right or wrong.
• Every society has a code to ensure;
• Peace, and harmony.
• Cooperation.
• Conformity.
• Prevent deviance.
• Ethics remain constant within the context but it changes with context( society, culture, time period)
• Hence ethics is not either absolute, universal, or eternal.
• Ethics exist at multiple levels there can be organizational ethics, institutional ethics, personal ethics, and societal ethics.
• Where an individual is only influenced by ethics but also shapes the ethics of society.
• Such as When individual morals accepted by society lead to ethics.
• When ethics of society are practiced at an individual level called morals.
• Example Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Gandhiji, Savitri Phule.
• Ethics are abstract (especially societal ethics). They lack concrete manifestation hence people fail to realise its meaning and significance. And often digress toward the path of unethical behavior.
• Ethics is often applied in the context of voluntary action.
• If an individual is made is perform an act under gunpoint then that act will not be evaluated under the ethical ambit with respect to right to wrong.
• Ethics are maintained and sustained by a sense of responsibility and not mere accountability to some external agencies.
• For example helping the accident victim or charity from personal wealth or upholding democracy by voting in elections etc

ESSENCE OF ETHICS (5:35 PM)

• Every individual is capable of making informed and intelligent choices
• The choices that they make has implication for both individual and society.
• Hence, every individual should be morally responsible for the choices they make.
• It is the ethics that enables them to make the right choices.

DETERMINANTS OF ETHICS  (5:45 PM)

• 1)God and religion;
• Religion-based ethics trace the source to god which says something is right or wrong.
• As per this determinant the ethical standards are absolute and universal.
• For example, Niskama Karma of Bhagavad Gita.
• Eightfold path of Buddhism.
• Philosophy of Anekantvad of Jainism etc
• Although religion can be one of the sources of ethics but it can't be equated with ethics as ethics are applied to those also who are atheists.
• 2) Human Intuition: -
• Example,
• A:- We should not harm animals for fun.
• B:- Why?
• A:- because it will cause pain and we should not cause pain to others.
• B:- Why?
• A: we should treat others as we want to be treated by them
• B: Why?
• A: because this is the right thing to do.
• Gut-level response to ethical dilemmas without deliberation is referred to as moral intuition.
• For example, seeing a child in distress in a crowd the moral response is to help the child is to find his or her parents.
• The decision based on moral intuition is quick.
• For example, India provided humanitarian assistance during floods in Pakistan without any hesitation.
• Decisions are highly subjective as they depend upon individual ethical disposition or moral disposition.
• Often decisions based on moral intuition are driven by the attitude of empathy and emotional intelligence
• Often people indulging in intuitive decisions have the following qualities;
• Kindness.
• Compassion.
• Love.
• Gratitude etc
• 3) Culture and society;
• There is a famous saying be a Roman in Rome.
• The ethical principles of individuals are also influenced by the culture they belong to.
• For example;
• WEST- individualism, Competition, rationality, consumption.
• Indian society- Collectivism, Cooperation, Strong religious orientation, Delayed gratification.
• Similarly, society is the most important source of ethics however it should not be equated with ethics because many times society deviates from ethical behaviour.
• For example Society practices patriarchy, dowry, caste-based discrimination etc which are unethical.
• 4)Agencies of socialization;
• For example family, teachers, cinema, peer groups, life experiences, etc are important agents of shaping ethical values.
• 5) LEADERSHIP;
• Leadership helps in determining the conduct of their followers for example;

VALUE.	LEADERS.
Rationality, visionary.	Sardar Patel.
Integrity.	L.B Shastri.
Courage and wisdom.	Sam Manekshaw.

 

• However, Leaders are also prone to unethical practices hence one should not blindly follow them. Example Hitler.
• 6)Philosophy(to be covered under Normative ethics)
• 7)Constitution;
• It is a way to establish the moral disposition of the society.
• For example Fundamental duties, DPSCP, Preamble
• Although there are different determinants of ethics but in case of dilemma it should be the constitutional morality that should govern human conduct ( Our constitution is not a static document it is based on the doctrine of the living tree).

DETERMINING ETHICS w.r.t TO HUMAN ACTION (6:41 PM)

• 1)Object- Nature of the act.
• Primary determinant of morality of act.
• Examples;
• Telling the truth- Morally right
• Telling lie- Morally wrong
• Jogging/running/sitting- morally indifferent.
• 2) Circumstances-Context of the act.
• It impacts the morality of the action.
• Examples;
• A good act can be made even better (giving a food to starving person)
• Indifferent acts can be made good. Example-sitting with a lonely person.
• Bad acts can be made worse-> Example, Robbing a Beggar of his only meal of the day.
• 3) Purpose; Intention behind the act.
• Example;
• Good act but bad intention- Donating to increase followers on Instagram
• Bad act + good intention- Robinhood.
• Indifferent + Good intention-> Doctor running Amidist traffic to save patients life.

CONSEQUENCES OF ETHICS (6:54 PM)

At the Individual level.	At Societal level.
Ethical life is the source of ultimate happiness. For example, the Act of blood donation makes us feel good.	It will ensure good governance. Example Armstrong Pame, Prashant Nair.
Ethical behavior makes a person high order being who is beyond the lower-order needs. For example, Lord Ram did not care about lower-order needs such as power, wealth, or kingship but focused on virtues of compassion, kindness, integrity etc	Ethics of care, justice, and rationality will motivate society to bring desirable changes. For example progressive laws such as decriminalization of suicide under the Mental Healthcare Act or recommendation of the Supreme Court to treat sex workers and their children with dignity etc
An ethical person will always be acknowledged and appreciated and will have credibility in society for example Honest civil servants, compassionate political leadership and courageous common man.	It ensures equitable and inclusive development as ethics will ensure fair opportunities and fair distribution of resources
Ethical behavior leads to mutual kindness and hence will establish good interpersonal relations.	Ethical behaviour will help in establishing a sustainable social order by socializing the younger generation with respect to ethical values.
It will ensure peace of Mind, will reduce the crisis of conscious and will enable individuals to make quick decisions.	NA

Questions;

1. The crisis of ethical values in modern times is traced to a narrow perception of the good life. Discuss ( 150 words/10 Marks)
2. Discuss the significance of ethics with respect to individual and societal well-being ( 150 words/10 Marks).

DIMENSIONS OF ETHICS (7:20 PM)

• Descriptive Ethics.
• Meta Ethics.
• Normative ethics.
• Applied ethics.
• Descriptive Ethics;
• What people think is right and wrong.
• Metaethics;
• What does right mean.
• Normative ethics;
• What is the ‘Right’ thing to do.
• Applied ethics;
• Application of moral values in real-life situations.

THE TOPIC OF THE NEXT CLASS- Continuation of Dimensions of Ethics