It Is assumed that when a person receives a right, they will also be subject to some obligations. Hence, Every right entails a corresponding obligation. The right of one is the duty of the other and Vice versa. John Austin says that a party has a right when another has an obligation (Duty) to do
- Ex – My right to clean the road corresponds to my duty to throw garbage in the dustbin
- Ex – The right of a child to get better nutrition and upbringing leads to a duty of parents to do the same
Administration –
- Right to get good perks and remuneration (Salary, Pension, Car, Home, Helper) leads to the duty to serve the citizen
- The right to punish someone comes with a duty to implement the rule of law
- Punishment should be in accordance with the law, In proportionate to crime
- Sir John Salmond – A duty is an act that every citizen is obliged to perform, in furtherance of protecting the rights of other people.
- SC in State of Rajasthan V Union of India – legal rights are correlatives of legal duties
- Ex –
- Citizens have the Right to Equality
- The state has a duty – not to discriminate against anyone and to provide equal opportunity of employment [A 15]
- While Citizens enjoy the fundamental right to freedom of religion [A 25-28] They also have duty to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood [A 51A(e)]
- Fundamenntal Right to safe environment [A 21 – M C Mehta Case], Fundamental duty to protect environment [A 51A (g)]
- Gandhi – Begin with a charter of Duties of Man and I promise the rights will follow as spring follows winter.
The word ‘virtue’ is derived from Latin Vir which means a man or hero. It corresponds to the Sanskrit word Virya, meaning manliness, bravery, power, energy, or excellence. Hence, Virtue refers to the inner character and its excellence.
| Philosophers | Virtue |
| Krishna (Geeta) | Sthithpragyta, Nishakam Karma, Yoga (bhakti, Gyaan, Karma etc) makes one’s inner character excellent and hence essential virtues |
| Socrates | Knowledge is only virtue and ignorance is only vice. |
| Plato | Wisdom, courage, Temperance and justice are 4 Cardinal Virtues |
| Aristotle | Happiness and virtue go together. Summum Bonum i.e happiness is the highest virtue. This happiness must come from the intellectual pleasures and philosophical contemplation |
| Buddha | Dhamma is the true virtue and various ways like 8 fold paths, madhyam marg are means to achieve this virtue |
| Mahavira | Virtues like 5 Mahavrata (Satya, Ahimsa, Bramhcharya, Asteya and Aparigraha), Ratnatraya (Samyak darshan, Samyak Jnana, Samyak charitra), Forgiveness (Micchami dukkadam) and self discipline and knowledge (Jina). |
| Immanuel Kant | Virtue is fortitude of will to fulfill one’s duties despite internal and external obstacles |
| John Rawls | Virtues of fairness, impartiality, non discrimination or positive discrimination, equity and justice |
| Jeremy Bentham | Virtue is greatest happiness/pleasure of greatest number [Utilitarianism] |
| James Mills | Virtues (like kindness, honesty, benevolence, and justice) are those qualities of character that tend to produce happiness, both for the individual and for society as a whole |
| Epicureanism | Virtues are not an end itself rather means to achieve happiness and tranquillity in life |
| John Locke | Virtues involves acting in accordance with reason and natural law, respecting and upholding the rights and freedoms/liberty of others and fulfilling obligation towards the society |
| Confucius | Five Constants” or the “Five Virtues,” which includes – Ren (compassion or kindness), Yi (Justice/fairness/equity), Li (maintaining harmony and order in interpersonal relationships and society), Zhi (wisdom or knowledge) and Xin (Credibility/trust). |
| Thomas Hobbes | Virtue, according to Hobbes, involves obedience to political authority, adherence to laws, and behaviors that contribute to the stability and security of society (Social contract theory) |
| Voltaire | Voltaire believed that true virtue lies in the exercise of reason and the pursuit of knowledge, rather than blind adherence to dogma or tradition. Voltaire also valued virtues such as tolerance and compassion. He advocated for religious tolerance. |
| Chankya | Virtues like temperance (self control), integrity (Against corruption), fortitude, humility, donation (Philanthropy) etc |
| Shankaracharya | According to Shankaracharya’s teachings in Advaita Vedanta spiritual growth, self-realization and Gyaan yoga are essential virtues to realize the non-dual nature of reality |
| Kabir | As depicted in his writings (Dohas), inner purity, love, devotion to the divine, love, compassion and selflessness are core virtues |
| Nanak | Naam Simran (meditating upon the divine name), Seva (Selfless Service), Equality (regardless of caste, creed, gender, or social status) and Santokh (Contentment) are the virtues of Sikhism as depicted by Guru Nanak |
| Vivekananda | Virtue involves living a life of fearlessness, truthfulness, unselfishness, purity of heart, and service to humanity, guided by the principles of Vedanta philosophy |
| Gandhi | Virtues like truth, nonviolence, self-discipline, compassion, and humility etc |
