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Ethics: Essence, Determinants & Consequences
GS-IV: Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
Useful for: UPSC Civil Services
Overview
Ethical theories explain why actions are right or wrong: by duties, by consequences or by character.
Key points
- Deontology judges actions by duties and rules; Kant’s categorical imperative asks whether the rule could be universal and treats people as ends, not means.
- Consequentialism judges by outcomes; utilitarianism (Bentham, Mill) seeks the greatest happiness of the greatest number.
- Virtue ethics (Aristotle) focuses on good character and the "golden mean" between extremes.
- Determinants: personal values, social environment, law and institutions, organisational culture.
- Consequences of ethical conduct include trust and legitimacy; unethical conduct causes corruption and inefficiency.
- Good public decisions often combine theories: lawful duty, good outcomes and good character.
Practice MCQs
From the perspective of definition and scope, which one of the following statements about Ethics: Essence, Determinants & Consequences is correct?
- An action is ethically correct merely because it produces a short-term beneficial outcome.
- Ethics: Essence, Determinants & Consequences is unrelated to institutions, processes or real-world applications.
- Ethics: Essence, Determinants & Consequences has no exceptions or limitations in exam analysis.
- Ethics asks what ought to be done and why, using duties, consequences, virtues, rights, justice and care as reasoning lenses.
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Answer: (d) Ethics asks what ought to be done and why, using duties, consequences, virtues, rights, justice and care as reasoning lenses.. Ethics asks what ought to be done and why, using duties, consequences, virtues, rights, justice and care as reasoning lenses.
Consider the following statements on Ethics: Essence, Determinants & Consequences, focusing on definition and scope: 1. Ethics asks what ought to be done and why, using duties, consequences, virtues, rights, justice and care as reasoning lenses. 2. Conduct is shaped by values, incentives, institutions, social norms and situational pressures. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
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Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2. Both statements are correct.
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