Socrates (469-399 B.C.E.) is acclaimed as the father of Western philosophy. 

Socratic Philosophy

Ethics in administration

Example

‘Knowledge is virtue’ – Knowledge is only good and ignorance is only vice

  • Knowledge of rule books like Code of conduct (All India Service conduct rule 1968, Rajasthan civil services conduct rules 1971, GST rule book etc)
  • An administration must have knowledge about society, Demography, International relationship, Economy etc
  • Field training of IAS/RAS officers to get a knowledge of society and demography 

The unexamined life is not worth living – Human beings must understand their purpose

  • An administrator must have higher goals/purposes like welfare of society and becoming the agent of change
  • Eg. IAS Jitendra Kumar Soni’s Charan Paduka Abhiyaan helped 1.5 Lakh children

Socrates Advocates mild asceticism – Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.” –  Socrates

  • An administrator while enjoying government machinery like a car, home, servants must not forget the real purpose.
  • He must keep the principle of  बहुजन हिताय ( Bahujan’s welfare ) above than स्वांत: सुखाय (For one’s own happiness )
  • IAS Poma Tudu, walked 2 hours on foot to meet tribals on the hill 
  • Kerala floods in 2018 – IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan worked continuously for 8 days without going home and another IAS officer MG Rajamanikyam carried rice sacks on his shoulder

Live a life of wisdom and virtue rather than a life of wealth and glory 

  • Administrators must show empathy towards common citizen by leading a simple life 
  • Prabhakar Reddy, Andhra pradesh cadre IAS officer sent his children to local government school

It is unjust to break oaths

  • A civil servant must obey the constitutional oath (Oath of allegiance to the Constitution of India).
  • Eg. – Following All India Service conduct rule 1968 

Encouraging Open Dialogue

  • Engaging in dialogue with colleagues, stakeholders, and the community helps to consider different perspectives, ensuring that decisions are made with a comprehensive ethical viewpoint
  • Eg. – Ratri Chaupal with collector 
  • Eg. – MyGov App to take citizen inputs
  1. Summum bonum of life – Summum Bonum  i.e the highest and ultimate good is happiness. This happiness must come from intellectual pleasures and philosophical contemplation

Application – Being happy by service delivery, completion of duty, or even going beyond the call of duty 

  • Ex – 40 Nashik Officers Go Beyond Call of Duty to Voluntarily Take Responsibility of 56 Covid Orphans
  • Happiness from drug abuse, pornography, erotic literature, Violent games, mindless consumption of social media content and bad company should be replaced by happiness from meditation, physical exercise, good literature and good company of friends
  1. Principle of ‘Golden mean’ – Virtue is a mean between two extremes. It lies in moderation. Every virtue lies in between two vices. Ex – 
  • Courage between cowardice and foolhardiness 
  • Politeness between rudeness and flattery
  • Ambition between greed and Slothful

Application – 

  • Political neutrality between Flattery and  hostility/hatred towards politicians
    • Ex – I don’t hate politicians. I hate bad politics: T.N. Seshan
  • Empathy between Apathy and emotional/mental breakdown
    • Ex – IPS Chhaya Sharma while Solving the Nirbhaya Case faced an emotional breakdown
TheoryDefinitionProposers
Ethical EgoismAn action is morally right if the consequences are more favorable than unfavorable only to the agent performing the action.Ayn Rand, Charvaka, Hedonism
Ethical AltruismAn action is morally right if the consequences are more favorable than unfavorable to everyone except the agent.Lokasamgraha (Geeta), Auguste Comte
UtilitarianismAn action is morally right if the consequences are more favorable than unfavorable to ‘everyone’.Jeremy Bentham, J.S. Mill, Henry Sidgwick, Peter Singer, Chanakya

Intro – Western philosophy is the outcome of the teachings of mainly Greek and European philosophers like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Emmanuel Kant, Jeremy Bentham, John Rawl, etc

Western Philosophy 

Evils prevalent in Indian society

Sophism – Subjectivity in moral values + Reasoning 

  • Evils  – Intolerance, superstition, Blind faith, Lack of critical or rational thinking 
  • Sophism promotes rational and critical thinking

Socrates  – 

  • Only good is knowledge, Only evil is ignorance 
  • Mild asceticism 
  • Evil – Poor literacy rate, lack of authentic sources
  • NEP 2020
  • Against corruption,

Plato – 

  • Wisdom 
  • Courage
  • Temperance
  • Justice
  • Evil  – Outraging Modesty of women, Obesity, Unhealthy food choices,
  • Treated by Temperance

Aristotle – 

  • Golden mean path 
  • Happiness and virtue go together
  • Self control 
  • Evil – Anxiety, sepression 
  • Treated by happiness [Intellectual]

Epicureanism – Mental and intellectual pleasure 

  • Evil – Hedonism [Physical pleasures] 

Stoicism – Stoics recommend extremely rigorous asceticism

  • Evil – Kaam (Lust), lobh (greed), Nepotism etc 

Utilitarianism  

  • Evils – Poverty, lack of Healthcare and education Inefficiency, Apathy, Selfishness
  • Solution – Greatest good for greatest number

Emmanuel Kant

  • Evils – Discrimination, human rights violation 
  • Solution – Kant’s humanism, Human being as an end

John Rawls 

  • Evils – Discrimination, injustice, inequality, prejudice, etc 
  • Solution – Reservation, Veil of ignorance, theory of justice

Conclusion – 

  • Summary – Indian culture has been characterized by its tolerant and assimilative nature. By assimilating Western philosophical knowledge with ancient Indian philosophy, together we as dwellers of this mother earth can march towards better beings. (भारतीय संस्कृति की विशेषता उसकी सहिष्णु और आत्मसात करने की प्रकृति रही है। प्राचीन भारतीय दर्शन के साथ पश्चिमी दार्शनिक ज्ञान को आत्मसात करके, इस धरती माता के निवासी के रूप में हम मिलकर बेहतर प्राणियों की ओर बढ़ सकते हैं) 🚫
  • Slogan – Connecting Ancient Indian wisdom with Western philosophy, we can for sure achieve the dream of ‘Sarve Bhavantu Sukhin’ (प्राचीन भारतीय ज्ञान को पश्चिमी दर्शन के साथ जोड़कर हम निश्चित रूप से ‘सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिन’ के सपने को साकार कर सकते हैं) 

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