Now, we outline briefly the topics covered in the book and the best method of using it. The second chapter discusses the doctrine of moral scepticism. These doctrines question the value of Ethics and/or argue that Ethics as a study cannot be grounded in logic. We argue that such sceptical views are misconceived. This chapter also discusses the moral responsibility of human beings for their actions. The third chapter deals with the contributions of moral thinkers mainly from the West. It discusses the ideas of great moral thinkers such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epicureans, Stoics, Kant and utilitarians and twentieth century philosophers. The fourth chapter discusses ethical ideas from the Indian philosophical tradition. It discusses ethical ideas from Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism and of Gandhi. The Fifth chapter discusses the lessons one can learn from the lives of great leaders, reformers and administrators.
Chapters 6-8 discuss the theoretical portions of Ethics included in the syllabus. The sixth chapter examines the sources of ethical guidance which are commonly identified as laws, rules, regulations and conscience. The seventh chapter discusses various human virtues (and vices) with reference to quotations from great thinkers about such virtues and vices. We adopted this approach to enable students to gain deeper insight into the nature of these moral qualities. This approach will also help students in answering examination questions which ask them to discuss or elucidate ideas contained in given quotations. Instead of asking a direct question on a theory, concept or doctrine, examiners embed it in a quotation and ask students to comment on it. By reflecting on the quotations and the discussions which follow, students will be in a better position to answer such questions. Moreover discussion in such cases will be greatly enriched when students use quotations or the central point of a quotation while elaborating a point of view.
The eighth chapter discusses ethical reasoning and moral dilemmas. Ethical reasoning is relevant to situations in which decisions are based on moral choices. One needs to think about the moral question, the circumstances which give rise to it, and the moral standards applicable to those circumstances. Moral dilemmas arise when two equally valid but divergent standards apply to a given situation. Questions based on case studies which outline the facts in a given situation and the likely alternative courses of action involve ethical reasoning and (at times) moral dilemmas. In answering these questions, students have to think of the central problem arising from the circumstances and the the moral or administrative principle best suited for its resolution.
Chapters 9-11 deal with moral and ethical codes which are applicable to civil servants and political leaders. Chapter 9 deals with the concepts of code of ethics, codes of conduct and official codes of conduct which apply to civil servants. Chapter 10 covers the individual ethics for civil servants which eminent thinkers on public administration have proposed. Chapter 11 discusses the codes of conduct for ministers.
People are greatly exercised today over the problem of corruption in politics and administration. Chapters 12, 13 and 14 examine the phenomenon of corruption from different perspectives. Chapter 12 discusses the existing administrative structureand theprevailing procedures for tackling corruption. It is commonly argued that there are several administrative and other impediments which slow down action against corruption. Chapter 13 considers these issues. Corruption arises not only from the moral failings of public functionariest but also from the economic and political environment often creates opportunities for corruption. It is necessary undertake reforms and bring about systemic changes to reduce scope for corruption. Chapter 14 examines this theme. Chapter 15 deals with Lok pal, the latest institutional mechanism, created for controlling corruption.
Public administration scholars advocate frequent, lively and effective contacts between people and administration. To enable people to understand public issues and to comment on them, they have to be given access to information. This is also a means of making administration transparent and reducing scope for malpractices. Chapter 16 discusses the right to information which addresses these issues.
A large part of public administration is concerned with delivering services to citizens. Services include policing, sanitation, civic amenities, health and education. People often complain that administration fails in meeting their needs efficiently and in time. This administrative question is discussed in chapter 17 on citizen’s charter.
Public spending in social sector is essential for delivering services to poor and to improve their quality of life. Administrative departments have to fully and effectively utilize the funds they get from the budget. Chapter 18 discusses the utilization of public funds.
Three areas of the syllabus are from social psychology. Chapter 20 covers various aspects of attitudes whichincludetheir sources, structureandpsychological functions. It alsodiscusses processes involved in persuasion and communication. Chapter 21 is about political attitudes. This topic and ideology are studied in economics, political science, sociology, psychology and philosophy. We outline political attitudes and ideologies mainly relying on ideas from political science and based on contemporary Indian trends and discourse. This is because the previous examination questions on this subject were based on conventional approaches to the subject in political theory and on contemporary Indian political trends and topics. Chapter 22 is about modern ethical conundrums. In this chapter, we discuss several current issues such as homosexuality, death penalty, gene therapy, animal rights and surrogacy. These problems have their origin in changing attitudes to human sexual mores, revolutionary changes in biotechnology, liberal critiques of traditional religious and other customary practices, and faint hearted misgivings in squarely facing the challenges thrown up by hardcore terrorist ideologies and movements.
Students tend to get confused about the approach they should adopt towards such issues. In this chapter, apart from discussing specific issues, we also indicate the manner in which students can analyse such issues.
Chapter 23 outlines the various concepts and theories of emotional intelligence. This topic is essentially about the skills which civil servants need in their interactions with public and colleagues. Chapter 24 is on international morality which refers to the code of conduct which nations have to follow in dealing with one another. It discusses international morality on the basis of UN charter and the ideas of John Rawls. It covers various theories of international relations like idealism, realism, neorealism and neoliberalism. It discusses topics like just war, rules governing wars, pacifism, and regime changes brought about by external powers. It also examines the economic dimensions of international morality.
Chapter 25 contains detailed case studies which illustrate various moral and administrative principles. We have totally rewritten this chapter based on the trends revealed in the questions of the papers of the previous years. We have also thoroughly revised the case studies given in other chapters. The structure of the case studies conforms to the UPSC questions pattern. We have indicated the possible answer choices and discussed the principles which help in selecting the correct answer. At the beginning of the chapter, we have also outlined a structured method which students can use in tackling the case studies.
Our discussion of the case studies are intended to stimulate the thinking of the readers. Students should try to go beyond those outlines and look at issues from diverse perspectives. The cases in various chapters as also the cases listed in this chapter will help students in preparing for examination questions which have similar format. They illustrate the likely question patterns and the possible methods of answering questions. Examiners will decide the length of the case study as also the length of the answer. Students should adhere to the word limits while answering questions.
Chapter 26 is a glossary of terms. It covers all the relevant and important concepts. It can be used as a reference or independently for revision before the examination.
In Chapter 27, we have given model answers to the UPSC question papers of years 2013 to 2017. Our experience shows that students are often unable to convert their knowledge into effective answers. Their answers suffer from weaknesses in substance, structure and expression (or language). Therefore, at the beginning of this chapter, we have briefly explained the errors students make while studying course materials and while answering test questions. We have suggested a simple procedure for effective answer-writing. Students will profit greatly if they practise this procedure during their preparatory studies for the examinations. We are sure that this procedure would help students in all the papers of General Studies.
We close with a piece of general advice on answering questions. Often, it may be possible to answer questions on Ethics and administration from a commonsensical point of view. We appreciate that commonsense is a crucial ingredient for success in almost all endeavours. At the same time, evaluators of UPSC exam will be definitely looking for depth and richness in an essay type answer. Answers can be enriched if references are made to their theoretical underpinnings; or to relevant supporting doctrines, concepts; or to ideas of moral thinkers. Students are advised to keep this in view while answering questions. The materials assembled in the text will help students in enriching their answers in the manner indicated.
REFERENCES
John S. Mackenzie, M.A. A Manual of Ethics
Wilbur Marshall Urban, Fundamentals of Ethics - An Introduction to Moral
Philosophy
William Frankena Ethics
Warner Fite Moral Philosophy: The Critical View of Life
J. H. Muirhead, M.A. The Elements of Ethics
Joseph Rickby, SJ Moral Philosophy: Ethics, Deontology and Moral Law
Friedrich Paulsen A System of Ethics
John Dewey Ethics
BBC Ethics Guide Ethics: a General Introduction
(These are general text books on Ethics and can be consulted on various specific topics.)
