Ethics Before Excellence

Ethical education is already embedded in the education systems of major economies of the world; India just needs to follow suit

- KDP Rao

Universal ethical values such as compassion, love, fairness, and respect for human rights, which have guided us through the ages, appear to be under threat in today's 'advanced' world. We witness an increase in systemic injustice, violations of human rights, corruption in public offices, corporate scams, cybercrimes, and what-not — not to mention ruthless anthropogenic activity leading to irreversible damage to the environment. Have we conveniently ignored Aristotelian 'virtue' in our rapacious quest for 'excellence'?

What would we pass on to our posterity? A legacy and a culture nurtured by ethical values? Or self-serving, perfidious formulae to achieve material gains at the cost of human well-being? These are pertinent questions to be addressed — if only we do not want to re-enact Hobbes's 'state of nature' where life was 'nasty, short, and brutal.

Here comes the relevance of ethics — the foundation for the existence of any society. How best we can ensure ethical values and practices to address dilemmas in personal, professional, and societal contexts is the challenge today.

A study by Torney-Purta et al. (2001), IEA Civic Education Study, Amsterdam, Netherlands, underscores that new global realities call for a major reconsideration by educators and policymakers of how young people are being prepared to participate in democratic societies in the early 21st century, in order to preserve democratic values and institutions.