What do you understand from the following sayings? (a)"Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right." (b)"Even the most rational approach to ethics is defenseless if there isn't the will to do what is right"

By Srirangam Sriram, Sriram's IAS, New Delhi.

Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right
What is right and what is wrong is brought out by one’s inner conscience. It is pure and universal. It respects human life under all circumstances. It is not conditioned. It is expressed as integrity. Morals on the other hand are culture-specific and may be unethical also. Corruption may be seen as morally warranted but is never right from an ethical view. Similarly, honour killing or female foeticide. One’s view of what is right always goes against these practices which are ethically reprehensible. Still people are found to practice these narrow views. Therefore, morals should give way to what one feels is right.

Even the most rational approach to ethics is defenseless if there isn't the will to do what is right
Human will is what makes humans behave in a certain manner. One of the drivers of the behaviour is ethics. Conscience is built into all people as a compass of human action. It tells us what is right and what is wrong in all situations. Sometimes relative and sometimes absolute. At the same time, man is an egoist too. He wants to serve his own narrow interests. He is convinced that he has to be selfish to be successful. In such a situation of self vs others, the truth of ethics is of no use against the selfish personal interest dominating. It is not the rationality of ethics that matters then. It is the personal interest even if it goes against the collective.

Published date : 06 Jan 2021 12:26PM