Ethics and morality that shapes human life

It is a detailed discussion on ethics and morality that shapes the individual life and way of thinking.

1. EthicsandValues
ByShwetaSingh

2. HumanValues
CommontoAllhumans.Love,truth,Compassion.EvenOsamaBinLadenwouldlovehis
children.So,merelybybeingahumanbeing,atminimumyou’llhavethesevalues.
Examples:Universalhumanvalues,fundamentalrights
Theyremainstatic.Neverchangewithtimeorregion(unlikeenvironmentalvaluesor
privacy-westernworldpersonwouldbemorefocusedonthem).
Valuevs.Attitude:What’sthedifference?
Attitude
•Youbelieveindemocracy=>youvote,yougotomygov.inandgiveyour
suggestiontothegovernment.Allthisshowsyourattitude.Sovaluesare
‘beneath’theattitudeground.
•Westernsocietiesarebecominglesstolerant.
•PreCovid,aMuslimkidwasarrestedinUSAbecauseteachermistookhis
clockasabomb.SuchthingslesslikelyinIndia,forwearemoretolerant.So,
“notdoing”suchmess,isreflectionofour“tolerance”beliefinourattitude.

3. ClassificationofValues
IndividualvaluesSelf-Development,creativity,liberty,survival
SocialvaluesCooperation,Tolerance,Compassion,Empathy.Thesehelpyouasa
‘socialbeing’.
EnvironmentValues
•Non-vegetarianism,compassiontowardsanimal
•Harmonieslivingwithyoursurroundings,“Chipko-movement”is
exampleofSocial+Environmentvalues..
OrganizationalValuesPublicservice(inGovernmentandNGO),profit(inprivate
company),Truth(Journalism)
ConstitutionalValuesFundamentalrights,dutiesandDPSP.Creatingscientific
temperament,holdingthehonorofwomenandsoon.

4. Socialization
•e.g.parentsandteacherstellchildrennottolieorsteal.
•Forthisreason,Juvenilesaregivenlesserpunishmentfortheir
crime,becausetheirsocializationprocessisstillincomplete,he
doesn’tknowwhatisrightandwhatiswrong.
•Inthis“socialization”process,differentagentshavedifferent
roletoplay-family,educationalinstitute,society–thatwe’ll
seeinnextpartofthelecture.
Socialcontrol
•Evenafterinculcatingvaluesthrough“socialization”,there
willbesomedeviants,who’lllieorsteal.
•So,socialcontrolthroughrewardandpunishment
mechanism,willinculcatethevalues.e.g.
•socialosctricization:ofpersonwhoishabitualliarorthief
and
•socialappreciation/acknowledgement:ofpersondoing
charitablethings.
WE GAIN HUMAN VALUES IN TWO WAYS

5. HIENZ DILEMMA -KOHLBERG

8. SOURCESOFVALUES
RoleofFamily
•Ifparentsinformallytalkbadthingsaboutaparticularcasteorreligion,if
theyknowinglyviolatetrafficrules,childwillimbibethesame.
•Ifchildraisedinanauthoritarianmanner,he’llshowlessconcernfor
democraticvalues.
•Ifaboyraisedinanenvironmentwheregirlchildistreatedasasecond
citizen,he’lltreathiswifeinsimilarfashionandfindnothingwronginit.
•Ifparentsaremeticulousaboutcleanlinessinbothprivateandpublic
property,childwillfollowthesame.

10. Typeoffamily
NuclearfamilyValuesystemacquired
Individualism,responsibility,introvert.
Modernism:Moreamenabletoinculcatingnewvalues/changesbecause
youngparents.
JointfamilyValuesystemacquired
patriarchalvalues,respectforthe‘authority’butatthesametimeless
respectforwomenorthatwomenshouldnotwearjeans/t-shirtandsoon
Attitudeofsharing-amongsiblings,cousins.
Conservatism:oldpeopleinthejointfamilieswouldoppose.

11. RoleofSociety
›Withinsociety-neighbors,classmatespeers,colleagues,media,movies,
television
›Conformity:Whatpeers/colleaguesaredoing,personisforcedto
mimickthesame.Ifthey’resmoking,he’llsmoke;ifthey’relivingin
nuclearfamilies,hetoowillfeeltoseparatefromhisjointfamilyandso
on.
›Ifthey’reparticipatingindecorationofresidentialcomplexforGanesh-
festivalorNavratri,hetoowillfeelthemoralobligation.Recallhow
LokmanyaTilakusedtheGaneshUtsav,tocollectpeopleandinculcate
spiritofnationalismandprideamongthem.
›Socialcontrol:rewardandpunishment,wealreadylearned.
›Tolerance:ifyou’relivinginabuildingwithpeoplefromvarietyofcaste,
religionandregionalbackground,youdeveloptolerance.

12. Role of Teachers
Aristotle
He was the private tutor of Alexander the Great. He gave the
doctrines of Moral and politics. When Alexander concurred empires,
he never forced his culture/religion upon people in fervent /fanatical
manner unlike the other kings.
G K GokhleHe was the political guru of Gandhi and in many ways he shaped
the ideology and outlook of Gandhi towards India and life.
Modern
day
•If teacher is promoting his private coaching class during official
class in the school, he is indirectly imparting materialistic values in
students that education is a commodity that can be sold.
•Corporal punishment:When same child goes to college, he’d think
it is right to do ragging of juniors, when he becomes father, he’d
think physical punishment is right way to discipline children; if he
becomes a cop, he’d think custodial torture is justifiable to extract
confession from criminal and so on.

13. Role of education
Syllabus / TextbookValues Taught
WorldHistory:FrenchrevolutionLiberté,égalité,fraternité(liberty,equality,fraternity)
WorldHistory:Gandhi’strainto
PretoriaStandingagainstinjustice.
NewNCERT
Secularismandnon-violence.Becauseaccordingtoits
chaptersnokingeverinvaded/killed/plunderedIndia
andeverykingpatronizedalltypesofreligions.
LiteratureIthelpsusunderstandhumannatureandprevalentsocial
valuesofagivenera.
ScienceCuriosity:Askquestionsagainstorthodoxyandbad
practicesinreligion.

14. Contentofthetextbookplaysimportantroleinimpartingvalue
system
Ifatextbookhaspassage“papaiscomingfromofficewhilemummy
iscookingfoodandmunniishelpingmummy.”
Whileitsoundsinnocent,butitsputting‘gender-roles’inthemindsof
childrenthatmengotoofficeandwomenaresupposedtostayat
homeandcookfoodonly.
Valueeducation:desirable?
ShouldGovernmentimpartvaluestochildrenthroughschool
education?
NorthKoreanGovernmentusestextbookstopoisonthebrainsof
childrenagainstSouthKoreaandWesternWorld.
SamewayPakistanitextbookspouringAnti-Indiavenom.

15. Otherwaystoimpartsocialvaluesamongchildren-
EventValues imparted
TakethemtooldagehomesCompassion,altruism
Museums,culturalcentresTolerance,secularism
Treeplantation,street
cleaningEnvironmentalprotection
Yoga
Itinternalizesyourmind.Onceyourmindis
focusinginward,you’llhavemoreclarityof
thought.

16. EthicalConflictsinCosmopolitanCultureandUrbanisation
Economicdevelopmentanddesireforwellbeinghasmadethephenomenonof
rapidurbanizationandcultureofcosmopolitanismade-factofeatureofthe
modernsociety.Thisleadstoenhancedjobopportunities,riseinstandardsof
livingofpeople,economicprogressofanation,riseinawareness,assertive
demandsregardingprovisionofservicesbygovernmentetc.Cosmopolitanismis
theideologythatallhumanbeingsbelongtoasinglecommunitywithsimilarsetof
moralprinciples.Theoretically,hereeveryonecanretaintheirindividualand
culturalintegritywhilealsokeepingthemselvesopentothelargerworld.
Cosmopolitanizationandurbanizationareassociatedwiththefollowingvalues:
•Inclusivity,oneness,humanrightsanddignity,culturaldiversity,solidarity,
equality
•Openness,goodgovernance,responsibilityandaccountability,democracy
•Globalization,modernism,industrialization,consumerism,liberalization
•Oppositiontochauvinism,socialjustice,peace
•CollectiveIntelligencethroughinformation

17. However,theyalsogiverisetovariousethicalconflictssuchas:
•Environmentalsustainabilityversususeofresourcesfordevelopmentprojects–Large
projectssuchasmining,buildingdams,powerprojectsetc.arerequiredtomeetrising
demandsofpeopleandimprovestandardofliving.Thisisindirectconflictwiththe
questionofsustainabilityi.e.,optimumutilisationofresourcesbypresentgenerationsothat
sufficientresourcesareavailableforthegenerationstocome.
•Risinginequalityandtheconditionofpoorandvulnerable–Thefruitsofeconomic
growthhavebeenappropriatedbyonlyafewandthus,ithasledtoimmenseinequality.
Theconditionsofpeoplelivinginurbanslumsandsquattersversusthegatedcommunities
inmetrosreflectthedividethaturbanizationhascreatedandisperpetuating.
•Conflictofresources–Although,peoplearemigratingtourbanareas,followinga
cosmopolitanculture,yetthevastpopulationgrowthinurbanareasisleadingtoresource
crunchintermsofland,water,infrastructureetc.
Thus,manypeoplelivinginsmallspaces,withlowwateraccessibilityandcongestionon
roadsetc.

18. •Saladbowlvs.Meltingpotmodelofsociety–Duetocosmopolitanization,
manycultureshavelosttheiridentityandareincreasinglybeingsubsumed
andconsumedbydominantculturesoftheworld.
•GlobalversusRegionalValues–Inoppositiontomeltingpotmodel,
regionalandlocalculturesareassertingthemselvesstronglyasareactionto
globalization.
Culturaldiversityversusculturalclashes–theopportunitiesintheseareas
bringspeoplefromvariousbackgroundsandculturehereandenablesthemto
getanexposuretothem.Butthisdiversityattimesleadstoclasheswhensome
peoplearenotopentonewculture.
•Individualisationversuscollectivism-increasingindividualisationinurban
areasresultsinnewsocialstructureswherethetraditionalfamilyisnotas
dominantasbefore.Self-interestseemstohavetakenoverothervalues.
•LifestyleChangesversushealthyroutine–Peoplehavebeguntoassociate
themselvesmorewiththeMcdonaldizationthantheirtraditionaldiverse
cuisinesandhabits.

19. ResolvingEthicalConflicts:WhatistheWayOut?
Everyhumanbeingisanendinitself.Certainly,weuseotherhumanbeingstoachieve
ourends.Astudentusestheteachertoachievehis/hergoals.However,thereisa
crucialaspectofaninformedconsentthatisinvolvedhere.Hence,itisimportantthat
wedonottreathumanityasmerelyasameans.Whatisethicalormoralcanbe
determinedbywhetheritisjustandfair.Forexample,ifyouhaveoneflute,whom
shouldyougiveitto:apersonwhoisgoodatplayingflute(virtuous),apersonwho
hasthemaximumneedforit(utility)orapersonwhohasbeenassignedthetaskto
playflute(deontological)?Theanswerisnotsimple.However,bymakingtheprocess
ofdistributionfairandjustcanonereallyclaimthatanethicalsolutionhasbeen
arrivedat.
Nooneapproachisuniversalorclaimtobewithoutanydemerits.Aimingfor
maximizingtotalhappinessmightleadtoviolationofbasicrightsofanindividual.
Aimingtoadheretodutymightleadtonegativeconsequences;justthatresponsibility
ofthoseconsequenceswillbelessenedontheindividualwhotakesthedecision.Inthe
longrun,generalhappinesscanbeincreasedbyrewardingthevirtueandpenalizing
vice.

20. Justicemeanschoosingwhattherightthingtodoiswithoutfearorfavour.
Theprocessofjudgmentmustbefreeofanybias-notonlybiastowards
anindividualoraclassshouldnotbethere,butalsotheapproachorthe
methodswhichoneusescannotbethesamealltime.Thismeansthatifthe
utilitarianapproachproducedthebestresultsinacase,itdoesnotand
shouldnotbecomethefavouredapproachinallsubsequentdecision
making.Awider,
multidimensionalworldviewequipsapersonwithtoolstomakeawell-
informedandjustdecision.Withexperienceindiversity,onecomesto
realizemoreandmoreaboutcircumstancesandproblemsofothers.As
such,effortshouldbemadetoincorporateinterestsinotherculturesand
societiesaswell.Thisway,areasonedandwell-argueddecisioncanbe
arrivedat.Thisdecisionshouldbeabletorecognizethebenefitsandaim
fortheirmaximizationaswellasrecognizethedemeritsandaimfortheir
minimization.