ETHICS
In the era of artificial-intelligence-driven society, the only value or substance, howsoever desiccated it may be, that still holds potential to bind the humanity distinctively as humankind is ‘ethics’. Dare to overlook this value in the education system, in a split moment the entire existential phenomenon of humankind as a grand co-existence would soon fall apart in the dark wilderness of barbarism.
Ethics need to be cultivated with utmost diligence and dedication in the young minds and education system has to re-construct and re-orient itself not only to introduce to the critical minds the value and relevance of ethics but to facilitate, with great care and caution, healthy nurture of the ethics in the mental domains of the individuals which remain grossly congested by consumerism and commercialism. Ethics not only need to be an integral part of pedagogy but is also required to be launched in multiple ways on the cultural stages of the society through, inter alia, interactive projects in the academia and other popular forums as well as through the artistic activities of theatre.
As a branch of study, ethics, often gets intertwined with religion, even though the meaning, content and value of ethics are quintessentially much larger, deeper and wider than any form of ‘religious essentials’, including the theological contents and didactic literature. Ethics is indeed is far superior to any ritualism which religions quintessentially tend to preach and propagate.
Ethics as a discipline of study is of utmost importance for the peace, harmony, cooperation, safety and even survival of humanity. Ethics is the nourishment and oxygen for survival of all institutions and denominations which humanity, through ages of struggle, has invented for its own comfort, peace and development.
The grand civilizational flux of human values, in the secretive circles of time and tide, often suffers a ‘course-shift’ and tends to stagnate into chaos and tumult of what may be described as ‘Frankenstein culture’- a concoction of hedonism and ethic-free lifestyle. The pristine immensity and glory of ‘soul-centric’ discourses, leads to awakening of sensitivity and inner illumination in the individual thoughts. But in the absence of ethical training of individuals, even such soul-centric discourses on the religious platforms also degenerate into shallowness and hollowness of body-centric themes.
The social realities of the day necessitate introduction of ethics as a discipline of education for betterment of society.
If we critically look back on the lost and forgotten civilisational paths crossing cartographic details of human history, the sources of the elixir of wisdom — distilled and matured with ingredients of acquired, researched and imbibed knowledge, by great scholars and ancient sages, are traceable. These sources are the ethics identified and rigorously followed by the individuals under guidance and controls of the sages.
However, a close study of the heritage of human struggles for self elevation, would necessarily lead to a conclusion that religions in the present institutionalized forms did not evolve through a pre-conceived and pre-planned intellectual process, but suddenly erupted on the fear-ridden and ignorance-ridden social sub-soils of life somewhat like a volcano. The flames of these volcanoes were politically and socially utilized to shape up the course of human life by the wisdom of the sages and in the process the institution of religions emerged. Even in the dormant state, the religious entities of volcanic nature, by dint of their formidable stature remain steadily and firmly placed on the high pedestals of supremacy.
The institutions of religion also weaponised themselves against the mortal and feeble humans with a critical focus to immunize themselves against any assault through brazen questions and uninhibited use of force in the garb of reason. The radars, canons, fortresses and ammunition for protection and promotion of religions stand secretively entrenched in the socio-cultural thickets of human settlements. The thunder and fire of the words and expressions, such as, ‘blasphemy’, ‘sacrilege’, ‘desecration’, ‘apostasy’ ‘excommunication’ etc. demonstrate the hazards of the actual weaponry and armory of the religions. The socio-cultural spheres today stand fiercely dominated by religions and as an inevitable consequence, even the concept and value of ‘ethics’ stands radically re-configured, shrunken, shriveled and finally ‘sin’-packaged. It appears that ethics has unceremoniously submerged in the theological, mythological and ritualistic spreads of the Colossus: the religions. It is in the inclemency such new locus of mysticism of ritualism that the values of ethics continually suffer weathering, desiccation and diminution in terms of meaning, values and relevance.
In the present day life of the emerging class of critical thinkers, ethics cannot be preserved or nurtured as a value de hors the roofless and wall-less precincts of critical pedagogy. Even the examples and illustrations to explain and demonstrate the concept and value of ethics need to be evolved out of autoptic realities of life.
Before reverting to the religious illustrations of ethical life, it is relevant to ponder over the truth of a recent quote of an eminent author, thinker and philosopher, Yuval Noah Harare: “Questions you cannot answer are usually far better for you than answers which you cannot question”.
Religions represent demarcated domains of thought and religions assertively claim and profess to have ‘perfect answers’ to all questions pertaining to ethics. However, none can ever question these ‘perfect answers’. Religions tend also to monopolize the value-systems, pedagogy, textual contents, cultural and artistic realms as well as the training modules and methods in the context of study of ethics. But apart from the pain of unquestionable nature of these ‘perfect answers’, religions also critically lack inspirational materials of universal acceptability in their theological and mythological spreads. Religions are group-specific, community-specific, person-specific, puritanical and purely belief-based pursuits of human life. Religious beliefs are introduced, seeded, cultivated, nurtured and even imposed on the targeted persons to save, fortify and sustain the institutional identity of religions in the society.
The heroics and adventures abiding in the religious texts are too lofty to be emulated, even in their imagination, by the ordinary mortals. The heroes, superheroes, protagonists and characters in the religious texts are phenomenal in their strength and stature: hugely larger than human life and infinitesimally bigger than any imaginable situation in the domains of quotidian realities. Thus the readers and believers are left with no other option except to adore and eulogize these other-worldly icons and characters. The stellar personalities portrayed in the religious scriptures often turn into idolized subject of worship by the path-seekers than a true and vibrant source of inspiration for ethical learning and practices in the real life situations.
Ethics, in contrast with rights, is a well articulated, self-awakened and reason-enriched sense of self sacrifice which an ethically-enlightened individual, in his own discretion and in the deep layers of self-adopted value system, voluntarily treats not only as precious as his personal rights but as more beneficial for his own life as well as for the holistic development of the society. Ethics, in contrast with duties, is also a well articulated, self-awakened, reason-enriched and purely voluntary norm and form of conduct, while duty is community-imposed or State-imposed form or norm of conduct.
On the strength of parameters applicable to the discipline of axiology, ‘diligence’, as a trait of an individual is quintessentially an ethical concept and practice. Thus ‘responsibility’, as a virtue, per se signifies looking beyond and exploring oneself in larger sphere of life in quest for happiness is unquestionably an ethical concept and practice. ‘Sensitivity’ of an individual towards the deprived and disabled persons in the society, which necessarily awakens and inspires one to rise above the parochial thought of ‘otherness’, is purely an ethical concept and practice. Understanding and practicing the true value of ‘egalitarianism’ value of ‘sharing’ in the society, in the social economic and cultural spheres of life is an ethically-seeded and ethically-nurtured virtue. Valuing and practicing care and ‘love’ for flora and fauna is ethical in its roots and branches. Learning and mastering the virtue of ‘civility’ and ‘good behavior’ in the society are norms and forms of ethics. The self-chosen, self-cultivated and self-imbibed ‘fair conduct’ of an individual, inter alia, in the context of the law and order, is an ethical trait. Developing mental abilities through critical thinking and logical exercises is an ethical value. Self-discipline with a focus on health is a form of ethics. Anything and everything that facilitates and inspires the journey of mankind on the path of peaceful coexistence is quintessentially ethical. Conscious ‘avoidance’ of any harm to the fellow-beings in the society by conduct and action of an individual is integral part of the sense of responsibility and is a value within reach and scope of the expression ethics. Responsibility as a concept is clarified BY Max Weber , a well known sociologist , through use of the expression Verstehen ( pronounced : Vurst e hen). The expression Verstehen is literally translated as an empathetic understanding.
The relevance and necessity of ethical values are unquestionable in the context of ideal social life. Apex Court in India did not miss an opportunity to emphasize the same. M.H. Beg, C.J. in S. Mulgaokar, In re, (1978) 3 SCC 339 Para14, expressed the illumined view, ut infra;
”(…) there should be codes of ethics not merely for judges but for occupants of every office- high or low- and for members of every profession and calling. Without such codes, progress in right directions in any sphere becomes more uncertain and problematic than it could be with such codes of ethics…”
Education and Ethics are inalienable in substance and form. Verily, the outcomes of the education policy and practices are bound to degenerate into monstrous training camps for outlaws. A nation or a society cannot ever aim to turn into an island of rogues, imposters, knaves and knights errant. Society necessarily needs, nay, critically needs fairly enlightened souls, including sages, saints, good Samaritans and law-respecting persons.
Emile Durkheim, an eminent sociologist, aptly opines: “when mores are sufficient, laws are unnecessary, when mores are insufficient, laws are unenforceable.” ‘Mores’ in sociology means the customs, norms and behavior that is acceptable to the society. Bunched together all analogous or distinct the sociological articulations of the ‘mores’ mean and signify ‘morals’ in general sense of the expression. The significance of ethics is further elucidated by the said sociologist by enunciating the thesis of ‘Anomie’. Anomie signifies ‘norm-less-ness’ in a society, such as, absence of any concept or practice of ethics.
A Boston scholar and teacher of Hellenic Political studies, Robert C Bartlett , once aptly commented that if one wants to read a single book of philosophy in his life, we can honestly recommend Nichomachean Ethics by Aristotle. In the 12 golden chapters of the said magnum opus, great philosopher Aristotle (334 BCE), deals with courage, temperance, generosity, magnificence, magnanimity, ambition, gentleness, friendliness, truthfulness and wittiness as individual virtues. He strongly propounds golden mean as a true test of the virtues. Thus he clarifies that courage is a mean between fear and confidence but turning fearless and equipping oneself with overconfidence is to cross the golden mean and hence becomes unethical. Identically temperance is described by Aristotle as mean between pleasure and pain. The golden mean rule is again asserted. However, the highest virtue is described by Aristotle as justice, while emphasizing that justice (eudaemonia), unlike other isolated virtues of individuals, is a community virtue. He speaks profoundly about Helix. The said term Helix is construed as analogous in meaning to a ‘stable soul’. The stable soul of an individual is shaped by his acquired skills and abilities hierarchically described by Aristotle as: Art, Knowledge, Practical Judgment(phronesis ), Wisdom and Common Sense or intellect. A stable soul with the vitality of the aforesaid skills and abilities attains ethical enlightenment.
Ethics as a subject is taught and studied, inter alia, through deontological approach and consequentialist approach of pedagogy. Deontological approach focuses on duties of the individuals regardless of the consequences and mandates observance of ethics as a primary duty of the individuals. On the other hand, consequentialist approach focuses on the consequences, such as utilitarianism leads to the conclusion that an action is justified if it maximizes the good results. Immanuel Kant in his ‘Doctrine of Virtue’ clarifies deontological approach of ethical studies to cultivate virtues (areta). Bentham and Mill through their thesis of utilitarianism expound and propagate the consequentialist approach.
We must cultivate our garden of life with manure of ethical values so that beautiful and fragrant flowers blossom all over. John Locke rightly said: Actions of man are true interpreters of his thoughts. On the strength of this dictum of Locke, it is not difficult to comprehend the necessity of adopting critical study of ethics as a part of main course in all the disciplines of academics.