Ethics GS Paper IV by Manoj K. Jha

Model Answer

Question #1. Why it is, sometimes believed that feelings are better guide to action than reasons? Critically analyze.

Approach

1. Explain role of feelings as a guide for actions. (60 words)
2. Contrast with role of reason. (30 words)
3. Reflect critically upon the above. (60 words)

Hints:

The ethicality of Humans actions are defined by the following three conditions: 

• The ability to anticipate the consequences of one's own actions;
• The ability to make value judgments; and
• The ability to choose between alternative courses of action. In other words knowledge and free will is important for human actions.

Role of feelings and contrasting role of reason:

Sound decision making process is important for ethical human actions. However, while taking decisions feeling (emotions) and reason plays an important role. Feeling act as the primitive source of right and wrong. Individual or group take decisions primarily through social considerations, listening to their heart or considering the feelings of others. It expresses emotional attitudes or empathy in the decisions. Whereas in rationality, while taking decisions an overall optimization approach is expressed in attempt to maximize advantages or gains and to minimize disadvantages or losses.

The activities of one system are automatic and often emotional, whereas the activities of the other are controlled and never emotional. The automatic system get things done quickly, but it is prone to error as the feelings may change with situation. Whereas, the controlled decision done by reason is to keep a watchful eye and to make corrections when necessary. The logical answer doesn't change from day to day. 

The above point states that reason act as better guide for decision making. While feelings add to our ability to make better decisions, it is not wise to prefer it over reasoning. However, many a times human being make mistakes using logic to make decisions because decisions are not solely based on facts, values are also part of that. At this point emotions play an important role.

For example: If a child is involved in child labor act, according to law their parents are guilty and action can be taken against them. At this moment decisions cannot be solely based on laws, ethics equally play an important role and the main underline reason of the act should be removed by providing proper rehabilitation. One must understand that poverty is the major reason of child labor. No parent willingly send their child to work when he should eat, play and enjoy. A cold-blooded application of law here will not be a wise decision. A mixture of emotions will help one take a better, humane decision. 

Thus, consulting logic and emotions and taking them both as valuable guide is important for taking decisions. In Civil Services also reasons are important to make continuity in decision making process. However, empathy and compassion cannot be ignored all together. Laws have inherent limitations and that gap is supposed to be filled by human subject. That’s why compassion has been identified as a key virtue of a good civil servant. 

Both of the above have their own merits and demerits. As a moral agent keeps taking decisions in life, he becomes wiser and experienced. He learns where and how much to use reason and emotion. They question, hence, is not about what but how much and when. This golden mean is the wisdom.

Question #2. ‘Human society is today creating more problems than skills can solve and only human values & ethics can reduce problem creation’. Illustrate you opinion.

Approach

1. Discuss various problems that we the humans create at various levels. (75 words)
2. Show how skills cannot address all those problems. (75 words)
3. Underline the importance of ethics and human values in this regard. (50 words)

Hints:

Human society is creating problem by increasing the conflicts among themselves. Conflict between people or groups often arises from competition for resources, power, and status. Family members compete for attention. Individuals compete for jobs and wealth. Nations compete for territory and prestige. Different interest groups compete for influence and the power to make rules. Often the competition is not for resources but for ideas—one person or group wants to have the ideas or behaviour of another group suppressed, punished, or declared illegal.

Skill which is an ability and capacity acquired through deliberate, systematic, and sustained effort to smoothly and adaptively carryout complex activities or job functions is not able to solve these problems as it does not require intellectual mind but an emotional and feeling mind which can be attained by inculcating ethical and human values only. 

Ethics refers to well-based standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of duties, principles, specific virtues, or benefits to society. With ethical standards and human values the conflicts in the human society may decrease.

Importance of human values and ethics in human society

Human society may not significantly sustain without human values and there is need to bring about awareness of Human values into the society. Hence human values and Ethics is important in a society because it grants the members some expectation of consistency and predictability in behaviour/action, much in the way laws do.

Legislating or mandating all behaviour is impossible, so we invent ethical and moral norms to cover the grey areas. Ethics covers the parts of life where no agency or ruling body has made explicit decrees or where they shouldn’t make explicit decrees. Once a group has agreed upon set moral and ethical values, they can proceed relatively uniformly toward a goal. Knowing how people are likely to behave can ease interactions and facilitate exchange. It promotes cooperation and cohesion.

A society without clear ethical/moral values and norms will typically experience more conflict in areas concerning “quality of human life”. Any issue that impacts or deals with things that can be referred to as fundamentally “good” or “bad” will be point of contention. Ultimately, ethics takes care of the big and important questions so that we can get on with furthering societal goals.

Some crucial problems of our times are terrorism, climate change, refugee crisis, nuclear weapons etc. If we think, no skills can actually solve them because they arise from basic instincts like greed, lust for power, anger, injustice etc. On the contrary, it is scientific developments and associated technological skills that have enhanced the impact of above phenomenon. So, solution lies not only in better missile control systems, geo-engineering or anti-terrorism laws etc. but in a better world order based on love, humanity, compassion, sense of justice etc.   

Conclusion

Ethics is shown to play an important role in moulding one’s behaviour to identify what is right and wrong to do in a society, as it is a belief and standard that helps to create a harmonious and conforming environment. Hence, ethics promote peaceful coexistence, caring for others, and making the society a better place. Laws at best are moral minimum. They don’t guide us in making moral choices all the time. So, there should be value based education that strengthens our moral compass.