UPSC Ethics Simplified | Ethics and Ethical Attitude — the concept

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We have already learned about human values and morality in the previous articles. Now it is time to get introduced to Ethics. We must know that it is ethics only which can equip us with the lens of understanding and examining individuals or societal moral standards as well as their reasonableness.

Relevance: The topic is a part of UPSC CSE General Studies Paper-IV Ethics Syllabus. Aspirants will find the article useful for their Essay paper too. Moreover, the essence of the article will help aspirants in their professional lives or in life in general.

Nanditesh Nilay writes for UPSC Ethics Simplified fortnightly on Sundays. The first article is a concept while the second article is a caselet based on the concept. Don’t miss the post read questions, point to ponder and Express Input below.

What is ethics?

Ethics is that domain of understanding which is concerned with examining and knowing what kind of human behaviour can be referred to as right human behaviour in the context of individual or societal conduct at large. Here we can rationally realise the importance of understanding those ethical principles which enable us to identify appropriate human values which are conducive to the good of all.

FYI

According to dictionary.cambridge.org, ethics is “a system of accepted beliefs that control behavior, especially such a system based on morals.”

What is the Input-Output framework in understanding ethics?

We can even say that ethics is the output and human values are the input. We can have that framework because human values are fundamental human feelings, or beliefs that are treated more conducive to the individual as well as for collective human happiness and thus, promoting harmonious living in society. Our human values guide our relationship with other human beings and with the rest of nature as well as prepare us to realise our goal. It means our feelings or beliefs are the building blocks of our personality and thus keep us closer to human attributes. Valuing human attributes define our human values. Therefore human values are input for any Individual.

On the other hand, ethics expects us to examine those moral standards which are being valued and thus find whether those moral standards are reasonable or unreasonable. And here the role of ethical principles emerges which can guide an individual or any institution to read the subtle and gross distinction of any action/behaviour through the variables of right and wrong. So, with the help of ethical principles, one can make ethical decisions. And so, ethics is output. If we are not evolving as a society with the feelings of human values, then ethics will be more of a compliance rather than a result of that human input. It means ethics will be more an enforced act rather than an ethical attitude for any Individual or society.

Competency Vs Ethics Attitude

There is always a dilemma about whether competency is more important than ethics. A lot of times one can argue that problems can be handled more with competency and skill rather than ethical understanding. Of course, it is essential as well as urgent to acquire the requisite competence or the skills needed for bureaucracy or in any profession but one must remember that along with it, it is equally important that one must have an ethical attitude. Only an ethical person is capable of working with the spirit of doing good to all. If someone is not ethical, one will not be able to fulfil the cherished objective of any profession. Only that ethical attitude can ensure the sanctity of an act rather than merely competency or skill. Proficiency may even prove to be counterproductive and certainly will produce negative results if it is not integrated with an ethical attitude. And we should not forget that an ethical attitude is built on ethical principles.

FYI

1. According to cambridgeassessment.org.uk:

Competence is the ability to integrate and apply contextually-appropriate knowledge, skills and psychosocial factors (e.g., beliefs, attitudes, values and motivations) to consistently perform successfully within a specified domain.

2. According to Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance

Ethical competence is the quest for knowledge and action that defines right and wrong behavior.

3. According to dictionary.cambridge.org:

Attitude is a feeling or opinion about something or someone, or a way of behaving that is caused by this.

According to e-education.psu.edu:

Attitudes are the perspectives on a situation based upon the values held by a person or organization (or other form of agent). In other words, people and organizations perceive situations in the world through their values (typically seeking out information that directly supports their values), resulting in attitudes held about a given situation in the world as being positive, negative, corrosive, evil, good, right, wrong, sacred, profane, etc.

EXPRESS INPUT

Talent is useless without ethics and attitude

In a motivational speech at IIM Ahmedabad in 2005, Harsha Bhogle talked about how talent is not the only ingredient to be successful.

Harsha Bhogle is among the prominent sports commentators of the country, starting his career at the age of 19 with All India Radio, while living in Hyderabad, where he played A-Div cricket. He also represented Osmania University at the Rohinton Baria Tournament.

Harsha Bhogle: “A lot of us place a lot of emphasis on talent, don’t we? I mean we often look at someone who’s talented and say wow. Talent does that to people, it dazzles you. And yet you find that excellence is not about talent alone, in fact, a major part of excellence has nothing to do with talent. And in course of time, once you go beyond a certain level, ability or talent is the most useless virtue to possess. It’s what you do with the talent that matters. Beyond a point, it is an attitude that counts for far more than talent because talent breeds any ego and talent never solves problems beyond a point. I have seen a lot of young cricketers extremely talented who the moment they faced a roadblock did not know what to do because they never had to struggle to succeed. They always used their talent to succeed.”

For example, take Tendulkar, he played 55 games as a 14-year-old without a break, Bhogle remarked. “He would practice for two hours, play a game and then practice for two hours and then fall asleep on the dining table and do that for 55 days – that’s an attitude,” he mentioned in his speech.

(Source: Talent is useless without work ethic and attitude: Harsha Bhogle)

Point to ponder:  Indian healthcare must fuse ethics with competency. Discuss

Thought process

~ India’s mixed health system has evolved by default, not by design. We cannot turn the clock back. We need to make the best use of all our healthcare providers to provide optimal healthcare, which avoids exploitation of vulnerable patients. To improve access, affordability and quality of healthcare in India, we need the public sector to be more responsive, the private sector to be more responsible and the voluntary sector to be more resourceful.

~ There are two broad segments of the private sector who provide healthcare. One is the unorganised private segment of individual healthcare providers (both qualified and unqualified). In the organised healthcare sector, we have the not-for-profit, for profit and for profiteering segments. Many in the first two segments have performed well in service provision and respected ethical norms. It is the third segment that brings disrepute to private healthcare. Presently, there is worry that many institutions in the second category are moving into the third category.

~ The voluntary sector in India can proudly claim to have several excellent healthcare institutions. Even though some of them are labelled as private, they cross-subsidise care provided to the poor and have excellent ethical standards. However, these institutions are not geographically well distributed and do not have the financial resources to rapidly extend their reach and expand their services. Even among such institutions, those which have medical colleges attached to the hospitals or have credible post-graduate training programmes tend to practise ethical, evidence-based care. Usually, their hospitals are not run by non-medical MBAs. Their management teams are led by doctors.

(Source: Private healthcare must fuse ethics with efficiency by K Srinath Reddy)

— Edited by Manas Srivastava

Post Read Question: Which is more important, talent or ethics?

The writer is the author of ‘Being Good and Aaiye, Insaan Banaen’. He teaches courses on and offers training in ethics, values and behaviour. He has been the expert/consultant to UPSC, SAARC countries, Civil services Academy, National Centre for Good Governance, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Competition Commission of India (CCI), etc. He has PhD in two disciplines and has been a Doctoral Fellow in Gandhian Studies from ICSSR. His second PhD is from IIT Delhi on Ethical Decision Making among Indian Bureaucrats. He writes for the UPSC Ethics Simplified (Concepts and Caselets) fortnightly.