Public Policy and Science of Ethics
| Author | Sudama Singh |
| DOI | 10.1177/0019556120140403 |
| Published date | 01 October 2014 |
| Date | 01 October 2014 |
PUBLIC
POLICY
AND
SCIENCE
OF
ETHICS
SUDAMA SINGH
This article is concerned with the necessity
of
ethics
and
morality in social
and
public life. In this humble endeavour,
ethics
and
morality have been explained and analysed on the
basis
of
bio-evolutionary, socio-biological
and
cultural
theories. The
article
thoroughly
denies
the
normative
abstraction
of
ethics
and
morality on the basis
of
subjective
speculations
as
suggested in the traditional-classical
and
also
in
modern-philosophical theories. It attempts
to
objectify ethics
and morality to a workable extent so that the utility
of
ethics
and morality cannot
be
denied
in
social and public per!1pective
all in the name
of
so abstract ideas that cannot be actualised.
Finally the article concludes that it is our biology that
leadr;
us to accept ethics
and
morality as an objective referant
in
the
context
of
social, political
and
general public life, since
biologically we are designed
so.
Otherwise, even the survival
of
human being will come under question.
INTRODUCTION
ETHICS HAS ever been at the core
of
human behaviour. It has been
considered as a system
of
moral principles
or
science
of
moral principles.
It
is supposed to be moral science
as
a whole including moral philosophy
and customary, civil and religious laws, rules or standards governing the
conduct
of
a profession. It
is
the moral quality
of
a course
of
action
or
fitness and propriety
of
the course
of
actions. On the other hand, moral
is
conceived as standard
of
human behaviour
or
principles ofright
or
wrong.
It is concerned with the judgement
of
goodness or badness
of
human
behaviour.
It
is based upon strong likelihood or firm convictions rather
than upon the actual evidence and demonstration
of
facts.1 Though,
scientifically demonstrated and proved facts aim merely
at
stating that a
1As meant and defined
in
standard English Dictionaries and Dictionaries
of
Political
Philosophy (sec, e.g. Roger Scrution 's; A Dictionary
of
Political
tl1011ght).
PUBLIC
POLICY
AND
SCIENCE
OF
ETHICS
/
793
SUDAMA SINGH
given relationship exists regardless
of
its intrinsic properties such as
goodness, toughness,
or
beauty
in
respect to human social behaviour Ethics
and morals have been used interchangeably. The rationale
of
such use
is
that both the terms have been derived etymologically from Latin and Greek
words with the same meaning3• Thus, ethics as a system or science
of
moral principles employs workable, logical and reasonable restraint on
human social behaviours. Human social behaviour coming into the public
life
is
mainly concerned with social, political and economic acts
of
individuals in groups or congregation as opposed to private life. To
especially talk
of
politics, it
is
supposed to be the most potent lever
of
power; and thus flush
of
power requires restraints on its course. Ethics
in
politics or public life in general is supposed to be the most potent measure
that can provide effective restraint on the flush
of
power.
In
the present context, the problem
of
investigation is.two-fold: First,
it
is
an
urgent call to know the real content
of
ethical premises and moral
principles on the basis
of
modern sciences, especially on the basis
ofbio-
evolutionary science and theories which are now
in
a better position to
explain ethics and morality separating them from subjective speculation
and normative abstraction and fixing them in an objective manner. Secondly,
if
power
is
the lever
of
politics and thus
of
the social and public life, utmost,
it
requires an effective check and balance, since power has immense inherent
corruptible capability besides its constructive potentials. To what extent
ethical pronouncements and moral principles may employ restraints on
public and political life vis-a-vis the specific nature
of
power,
is
a point to
assess. Addressing the problems
of
investigation
in
hypothetical points
may be raised in this course: One, considering unbridgeable gap between
scientifically proved facts and values, ethical premises and principles
of
moral cannot be substantiated even on the basis
of
latest bio-evolutionary
and genetic theories. Second, ethics and morality are not mere subjective
speculation and abstract normative statements, but very much verifiable
principles to a considerable extent
in
an objective manner on the basis
of
bio-evolutionary theories and latest knowle9ge
in
biological sciences. Third,
so objectively verified ethical pronouncements and moral principles may
provide checks to an effective level on otherwise viscious socio-political
and economic power circle responsible for deciding public policies and
actions.
In
the modern age
of
science, for sure, it can be assured that ethical
2William
J.
Goode and
Paul
K Hot, Methods in Social Research; McGraw Hill Book
Co.,
pp.
28-29, 1985.
3
John
A.
Rohr, Ethics for
B1wea11crats:
An Essay on Law and
Va
foes,
New
York,
Marcel
Dekker, p.3.
1978.
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