EASTERN THINKERS
03 February 2021 20:21
1. MAHATMA GANDHI
Ø Physical notion of good---non-violence
Ø Spiritual notion of good--truthfulness
Ø Spiritual freedom before political freedom
Spiritualism
No belief is permanent--keep experimenting
Means and ends
Purity of means as important as end
Sarvodaya
Good of all
Good of others > good of oneself
Based on "unity of existence and universal love"
Idea on inclusiveness
The implementation of the Sarvodaya principle in
governance and policymaking carries several ethical
implications.
Ø Equity— progressive taxation
Ø Social justice — affirmative action
Ø Human dignity — decriminalisation of 377 (Navtej Johar)
Ø Participatory decision making — Gram Sabha
Ø Strengthen local governance —PRI
Ø Sustainable & environmental ethics — green energy
Ø Welfare state —
Ø Consensual governance— like arbitration in justice system
(Naari Adalat)
Satyagraha
Holding firmly to truth
Appeal to the heart---overwhelming the enemy with truth
Can't be used for personal gains
Legitimacy of rule>> legality of rule
Non violence
Infinite capacity of suffering
Ex— Japanese constitution renounces sovereign right to
wage war
Democracy
Not a legal phenomenon but Spiritual one
Respect for each other
Decentralization
Swaraj
Freedom from passions, greed, disrespect, power
concentration
Secularism
Swaraj
Freedom from passions, greed, disrespect, power
concentration
Secularism
All religion have certain same core values--truth, non
violence
No religion is perfect---continuous reform is necessary
Bring religion into politics---provides morality, soul
Economic view
Against large scale industrialisation
Favoured cottage industries
Industrialisation--cause of imperialism
Public service delivery— Gandhian concept of trusteeship
and talisman to reach the last mile should guide the public
officials, private corporations, and society for constructing
an ideal welfare and caregiving ethical state.
Untouchability
Used the word "Harijan"
Mainstreamed the evil of caste system
"change of heart of upper caste"
Commensality, intermarriage
Conscience
Gandhi believed — The rule of majority does not mean that
it should suppress the opinion of even an individual if it is
sound. The opinion of an individual should have greater
weight than the opinion of many, if that opinion is sound on
merits. That is my view of real democracy.
2. DR B R AMBEDKAR
His ideas
Ø Caste system origin--land relations in villages
2. DR B R AMBEDKAR
His ideas
Ø Caste system origin--land relations in villages
Ø Religion backs feudal system
Ø Annihilation of caste to decimate land and feudal relations
Ø Political power necessary to bring changes
Ø State to ensure competition is promoted but concessions to
depressed--egalitarian idea
Ø Against capitalism and Brahminism---Dalit workers most
exploited
Ø Don't do unthinking submission to any charismatic authority
Ideas on religion
Ø Religion as a code can also be based on principles of modern
sciences
Ø No god/ no rituals/ no permanent entities in religion
Ø Idea--bahujan hitay, bahujan sukhaya (happiness and
welfare of many)
Spiritual ideas
Ø A great man is different from an eminent man as he is ready
to be servant of the society
Ø Constitution is a vehicle of age which can take us to the next
era
Women
Ø Most oppressed of all
Ø Women + Dalit + worker---most exploited (cross roads of
gender, caste, capitalism)
Ø Social revolution must always begin from stand point of
most oppressed i.e. women
Social democracy
Ø Is a way of life which recognizes liberty, equality, fraternity
Ø Make political democracy a social democracy
Federalism
Ø Strong Centre was required to hold nation together as
communal violence was widespread during 1940s
Ø For a stable govt--strong Centre
Uniform civil code
Supported UCC along with Nehru
Ambedkar on Democracy
In his book 'The Budhha and His Dhamma'-- democracy is
affects every aspect of human life; it was essentially a way of
life.
Pillars of democracy -- Trinity of liberty, equality, fraternity
On Individualism -- Balance b/w individualism & fraternity
for a harmonious society.
Constitutional morality is prerequisite to democracy
3. KAUTILYA AND SUN TZU ( Chinese military strategist)
Ø School of thought---moral realism (realistic while following
morals)
for a harmonious society.
Constitutional morality is prerequisite to democracy
3. KAUTILYA AND SUN TZU ( Chinese military strategist)
Ø School of thought---moral realism (realistic while following
morals)
Ø Sun Tzu — warfare is based on deception—when able, seem
unable — deception is needed in alliance also
Ø Ethics in IR---national interest and securing it for people is
the first duty and ethic of a King
Ex— Vaccine nationalism, rice exports ban, crude oil
purchase from Russia etc
Ø best way to win is to win without waging a war
Ø “There is some self interest behind every friendship”— The
Mandala construct
Ø When to fight?
Stronger enemy seek peace through soft power and
dialogue
Weaker enemy fight
Equal keep them under control
4. Vivekananda
Ø Doctrine of service
Ø He who knows and controls his own mind, knows the secret
of every mind, and has power over every mind.
Ø Ethics over laws---laws which are enacted by parliament
does not make a nation good or great, it’s the people and
their conduct (laws=means, ethics=ends)
Ø " In a civilised society, laws float on the ocean of ethics"
Ø Each of 4 yogas-- bhakti, karma, gyana, raja--- are equally
valid & independent paths to salvation
5. CONFUCIUS
ANALECTS--collections of his ideas
Philosophy
Ø Quality of leader--DIGNITY, KINDNESS, LOVE OF LEARNING
Ø Blaming others--poor leadership
Ø Main theme---LOVE OF LEARNING
Ø "To make a mistake and yet not change your ways--is called
truly making a mistake"
Ø One's action reflect one's virtuous beliefs
Ø "FILIAL PIETY" --respect for one's family, elders, parents
Ø Meaning of accumulating virtue--"Put service first, reward
last"
Ø Trait of wise person--"knowing others"
Ø Real Knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance
6. TAMIL POET SAINT THIRUVALLUVAR
Ø Dismissed caste system
Ø Wrote "TIRUKKURAL" on human thoughts and ethics
Ø He who cares for others does not worry about himself
Ø Only he who is considerate towards all can be considered a
virtuous man
Ø Be merciful, have forgiven nature — gives peace of mind,
love, respect
Ø Those who have wisdom, but nothing else, may be said to
possess everything. But the man who has no wisdom, even if
he were to have all the riches in the world, is one who has
Ø He who cares for others does not worry about himself
Ø Only he who is considerate towards all can be considered a
virtuous man
Ø Be merciful, have forgiven nature — gives peace of mind,
love, respect
Ø Those who have wisdom, but nothing else, may be said to
possess everything. But the man who has no wisdom, even if
he were to have all the riches in the world, is one who has
nothing
7. DDU's Integral Humanism
Ø According to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, the primary
concern in India should be to develop an indigenous
development model that has human beings as its core focus.
Ø He borrowed the Gandhian principles such as Sarvodaya
(progress of all), swadeshi (domestic), and Gram Swaraj
(village self rule) and these principles were appropriated
selectively to give more importance to cultural-national
values.
8. BUDDHA
Ø Every pleasure has seeds of pain
Ø Knowledge is sole means of liberation
Ø Ignorance is the main cause of suffering like we ignore that
everything is temporary and crave & suffer---Nirvana is
achieved when we get rid of ignorance
9. JAINISM
Ø Right knowledge, faith, conduct
Ø Jain work Naladiyar — our lifespans are limited, but what we
need to study is vast like an ocean. So, ignorance is
inevitable.
10. KAUTILYA on GOVERNANCE & CORRUPTION
Good governance corruption
Ruler should surrender his Difficult to avoid
likes/dislikes in interest of his subjects “virtual impossibility
of detecting when
exactly the fish is
drinking water”
Responsible, responsive public Strictest
servant punishment
Competent ministers, officials with Emphasis on
qualities accounting methods
to measure
economic
performance
All administrators are servants of too much of
people (including king) personal interaction
or union among the
higher executives
leads to
departmental goals
being compromised
and leads to
corruption.
How to curb
corruption
• promoting
professionalis
leads to
departmental goals
being compromised
and leads to
corruption.
How to curb
corruption
• promoting
professionalis
m at work
• superintende
nts should
execute work
with the
subordinate
officials
• hefty fines to
be imposed
apart from
the
confiscation
of ill-earned
hordes.
• Any
informant (su
chaka) who
provided
details about
financial
wrongdoing
was entitled
an award of
one-sixth of
the amount in
question
(whistleblowe
r)
• Rewards
boosts the
motivation
and morale of
honest
officials.
• Several
positions in
each dept
temporary
• Periodic
transfer
