Role of Ethical Values in Governance and Society
| Author | Kamal Shankar Srivastava |
| Published date | 01 July 2013 |
| Date | 01 July 2013 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0019556120130317 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
ROLE
OF
ETHICAL VALUES IN GOVERNANCE
AND
SOCIETY
KAMAL
SHANKAR
SRIVASTAVA
The notion
of
ethics
has
evolved
alongside the
human
CivWsaiiOri.
New meanings, relevance and dimensions emerged
with every stage
of
human cognition
of
social, personal and
hedonistic tendencies. But one element-righteousness, ran
through the whole process and series
of
development. This
righteousness stands for an attribute that ensures pervasive
welfare. Even when the ethics became akin
t()
religion this
essence remained the prime concern. Tf'aditional Hindu
scriptures and theological literature spoke highly
of
ethics
in
context
of
statecraft and statesmanship. Individual morality
developed with the evolution
of
social life when men began to
think
of
themselves as having some rights and properties
of
their
own.
It is wider application
of
social and individual ethics,
which becomes relevant both
for
good governance as well as
good society.
IN THE earliest period
of
human history, men lived in herds and herd
morality was the rule. Men were totally dependent for their survival on the
group
of
the herd, and hence, what was good for the herd was good for its
members. This herd morality, mainly instinctive in character, can hardly
be said to be useful for the present day. Instinctive morality surely served
man well in the past; but its days are gone. A more improved form
of
morality developed out
of
herd morality.
When man graduated from the nomadic stage to the agricultural stage,
his struggle for existence became less harsh, he found some leisure to
think and social life began to take shape. But even in those societies there
was no morality in the true sense
of
the term but only social
or
conventional
morality which ensured the well-being and survival
of
the society. Here
too, the iron grip
of
social rules and regulations held complete sway over
the individual. There was hardly any scope for individual freedom and
morality.
Even today, when we claim to be highly civilised, the majority
of
us
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