Ethics: Definitions and Dimensions

2.1 What is Ethics?

Ethics (from Greek ethos — character, custom) is the branch of philosophy that studies:

• What is morally right and wrong (normative ethics)
• What is good and valuable for human life (value theory)
• What moral principles should guide conduct (applied ethics)

For RPSC purposes, ethics = the study and practice of values, integrity, and moral conduct in personal and professional life — particularly in public administration.

Three major ethical frameworks (for exam answers):

Framework	Core Idea	Key Thinker	Administrative Application
Deontological	Act according to duty/rules regardless of outcomes	Immanuel Kant	Following rules even when inconvenient; whistleblowing despite personal cost
Consequentialist	An act is right if it produces the best overall outcomes	Jeremy Bentham, J.S. Mill	Cost-benefit analysis in policy; utilitarian welfare maximisation
Virtue Ethics	Focus on character — cultivating virtues (honesty, courage, compassion)	Aristotle, Confucius	Civil servant as a person of character, not merely a rule-follower

Indian ethics adds a fourth lens: Dharmic ethics — right action is action aligned with cosmic order (Dharma), duty (Kartavya), and the welfare of all (Sarvoday).

2.2 Human Values: A Taxonomy

Human values are broadly categorised as:

1. Cognitive values: Truth, knowledge, wisdom — the pursuit of understanding reality accurately.
2. Moral values: Honesty, integrity, fairness, compassion, non-violence — foundational for trust in relationships.
3. Social values: Justice, equality, cooperation, civic responsibility — essential for a functioning society.
4. Aesthetic values: Beauty, harmony, creativity — the human capacity for art and meaning-making.
5. Spiritual values: Inner peace, transcendence, universal love — values that go beyond material concerns.

In administration, professional values — accountability, transparency, efficiency, impartiality — are applications of moral and social values in the public sphere.

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