1. Ethical Decision Making

• Definition: A cognitive process involving evaluation and selection among alternatives based on ethical principles, rules, and virtues.

• Process:

  • Review all available options.
  • Eliminate unethical options.
  • Choose the best ethical alternative.

• Requirements:

  • Commitment: Desire to act ethically without concern for consequences.
  • Consequences: Knowledge of moral principles, values, and desire to implement them.
  • Competence: Ability to collect, evaluate information, develop alternatives, and foresee potential consequences and risks.

• Seven Steps in Ethical Decision-Making (for Case Studies):

  1. Gather facts.

  2. Define ethical issues.

  3. Identify affected parties (stakeholders).

     1. Primary (directly affected)
     2. Secondary (Indirectly affected)

  4. Identify effects and consequence

     1. Short term and long term
     2. Positive and negative

  5. Consider integrity and ethical values.

  6. Create potential alternative solutions.

  7. Decide on the right ethical action.

2. Framework for Ethical Decision Making

• Key Viewpoints to Consider:

  • Utilitarian Approach: Choose the option that ensures the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people (Bentham, Mill).
  • Rights Approach: Choose the option that protects the rights of all and does not violate anyone's rights.
  • Justice Approach: Choose the impartial and just option. Treat equals equally.
  • Approach of Universal Good: Select decision that ensures the welfare of all ( Sarvodaya, Antyodaya, Lok Sangrah).
  • Virtue Approach: Make decisions according to virtues like empathy, wisdom, courage, compassion, temperance, etc.

3. Social Justice

• Emergence: Became popular in the 19th century due to negative impacts of the Industrial Revolution (social and economic inequality, exploitation, human rights violations).

• Purpose: To remove negative impacts of the Industrial Revolution.

• Five Main Principles:

  • Access to Resources: Resources should be available to all; no one should be deprived of education, health, food, etc.
  • Equity: Resources should be distributed justly and fairly. Government must give special attention to deprived sections.
  • Human Rights: Everyone has the right to live with dignity. No one should be deprived of human rights (Article 19, Article 21).
  • Participation: Ensure participation of all in social decision-making. Everyone should get appropriate representation ( Democracy)
  • Diversity: Diverse groups in society must be respected; there should be no discrimination.

• Objective: To create an egalitarian society where everyone gets equal opportunity and deprived sections get special protection (women, children, the elderly, backward classes, etc.).

• Types of Justice:

  • Procedural Justice: Associated with process, rules and laws. If these are just then society will be just.
  • Substantive Justice: Focused on outcomes. Justice can only be ensured by making changes in outcomes and circumstances. Social justice is related to this.
  • Integration of Both Justice types as seen by John Rawls and India.

4. Humanitarian (Human) Concerns

• Definition: Concerns that affect different dimensions of human life.

• Types of Concerns:

  • Economic: Poverty, unemployment, inflation, economic inequality.
  • Social: Discrimination, exploitation, intolerance, hatred, communalism.
  • Global: Pollution, terrorism, civil war, weapons, pandemics.
  • Technological: Cybercrime, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, robotics.
  • Individual: Stress, health, education, lack of morality and spirituality.

5. Accountability in Governance

• Necessity: Creates balance between rights and duties. Ensures rights are not misused and duties are followed.

• Components:

  • Responsibility- appropriately explain decisions and actions.
  • Enforceability-take punitive actions if duty is violated.
  • Sensitivity- take actions in public interest.

• Types of Accountability:

  • Fiscal Accountability: Ensures public funds are used appropriately (Auditor General, Public Accounts Committee (PAC)).
  • Procedural Accountability: Ensures due process is followed (e.g., in tendering).
  • Judicial Accountability: Ensures decisions are in accordance with the law. Judicial review is available.
  • Administrative Accountability: Lower-level officers are accountable to higher authorities.
  • Political Accountability: The executive is accountable to Parliament (legislature), and Parliament is accountable to the people.
  • Moral Accountability: Accountability towards conscience and God.

• Benefits of Accountability:

  • Creates balance between duties and rights.
  • Prevents misuse of rights.
  • Ensures observance of duties.
  • Increases transparency in administration.
  • Increases public trust.
  • Establishes high standards.
  • Eliminates corruption, nepotism, and red tape.