BPYG-171 Solved Assignment 2025
Assignment for TEE June 2025 and TEE December 2025
- Explain the ethical issues associated with technology and innovation.
Or
Discuss in detail preference utilitarianism of Peter Singer in the context of animal rights.
- What is Bioethics? Briefly discuss some key bioethical issues.
Or
Write a note on the following in about 200 words each:
a) Difference between ‘Morality’ and ‘Ethics’
b) Applied Ethics
a) Difference between ‘Morality’ and ‘Ethics’
b) Applied Ethics
-
Answer any two of the following in about 200 words each:
a) What are the salient features of anthropocentric ethics?
b) Explain the ‘Is-Ought’ gap.
c) Discuss the different ways to define the idea of personhood.
d) Write a note on the relation between justice and morality. -
Answer any four of the following in about 150 words each:
a) Discuss the theory of environmental ethics.
b) Write a note on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
c) Discuss briefly the debate between ‘right to life’ vs ‘right to choose’.
d) What is terrorism? Why terrorism is harmful for the social fabric?
e) Write a note on professional ethics.
f) Discuss the abolitionist position in the context of capital punishment. -
Write short notes on any five of the following in about 100 words each:
a) Hippocratic Oath
b) Climate change
c) Freedom of expression
d) Surrogacy
e) Doctrine of double effect
f) Privacy
g) Technological enthusiasm
h) Corporate governance
Answer:
Question:-1
Explain the ethical issues associated with technology and innovation.
Answer:
Ethical Issues in Technology and Innovation
1. Privacy and Data Security
Privacy concerns arise as technology, particularly AI and IoT, collects vast amounts of personal data. Innovations like facial recognition and smart devices often operate without transparent consent, risking unauthorized data sharing. For instance, data breaches expose sensitive information, eroding trust. Ethical issues include ensuring informed consent, implementing robust encryption, and adhering to regulations like GDPR. Companies must prioritize user autonomy, but many exploit data for profit, creating tension between innovation and individual rights. Balancing functionality with security is critical to ethical tech development.
Challenges in Implementation
Achieving privacy requires overcoming technical and economic hurdles. Smaller firms may lack resources for advanced security, while larger corporations face pressure to monetize data. Ethical frameworks demand transparency, yet competitive markets incentivize opacity.
2. Bias and Discrimination
AI and machine learning systems can perpetuate biases present in their training data. For example, hiring algorithms may favor certain demographics, and facial recognition tools have shown racial inaccuracies. These biases undermine fairness, reinforcing societal inequalities. Ethical innovation requires diverse datasets, regular audits, and inclusive development teams. Ignoring these steps risks harm, such as wrongful arrests due to misidentification. Developers must proactively address bias, but resource constraints and lack of awareness often hinder progress.
Addressing Bias
Mitigating bias involves technical and cultural shifts. Developers must prioritize fairness metrics, but industry standards are inconsistent. Public pressure and regulation are pushing for accountability, yet resistance persists due to cost and complexity.
3. Job Displacement and Economic Inequality
Automation and robotics, while innovative, displace workers in industries like manufacturing and retail. This raises ethical questions about economic fairness and retraining. For instance, self-checkout systems reduce labor costs but leave low-skill workers jobless. Ethical technology deployment involves creating reskilling programs and ensuring equitable benefits. However, corporations often prioritize efficiency over social impact, exacerbating inequality. Policymakers and innovators must collaborate to balance progress with human welfare, but solutions lag behind rapid advancements.
Economic Mitigation Strategies
Governments can implement universal basic income or retraining subsidies, but political and fiscal barriers complicate adoption. Companies rarely invest in displaced workers without incentives, highlighting the need for ethical leadership.
4. Environmental Impact
Technology innovation, particularly in cryptocurrency and AI, consumes significant energy, contributing to carbon emissions. Data centers and blockchain mining strain resources, raising ethical concerns about sustainability. Ethical innovation demands eco-friendly practices, such as renewable energy use and efficient algorithms. However, short-term profits often overshadow long-term environmental goals. Stakeholders must weigh technological benefits against ecological harm, but global coordination remains challenging.
Sustainable Innovation
Green tech solutions exist, but scaling them requires investment and policy support. Ethical companies adopt carbon-neutral goals, yet industry-wide adoption is slow due to cost and competition.
Conclusion
The ethical issues of technology and innovation—privacy, bias, job displacement, and environmental impact—require a multifaceted approach. Developers, policymakers, and society must prioritize transparency, fairness, and sustainability. While innovation drives progress, unchecked advancement risks harm. Ethical frameworks, regulatory oversight, and public awareness are essential to ensure technology serves humanity equitably, balancing benefits with responsibility for a sustainable future.
Question:-1 (OR)
Discuss in detail preference utilitarianism of Peter Singer in the context of animal rights.
Answer:
Preference Utilitarianism of Peter Singer in the Context of Animal Rights
1. Understanding Preference Utilitarianism
Preference utilitarianism, as articulated by Peter Singer, is an ethical framework that prioritizes maximizing the satisfaction of individual preferences rather than mere pleasure, as in classical utilitarianism. For Singer, moral actions are those that best fulfill the preferences of all affected beings, weighted by their capacity to experience interests. In the context of animal rights, this theory extends moral consideration to non-human animals, as they possess preferences, such as avoiding pain or seeking survival. Singer argues that ignoring these preferences is ethically indefensible, challenging traditional human-centric moralities.
Scope of Preferences
Animals, particularly sentient ones like mammals and birds, exhibit clear preferences through behaviors like fleeing danger or nurturing offspring. Singer emphasizes that these preferences deserve moral weight, proportional to the animal’s capacity for suffering or flourishing.
2. Application to Animal Rights
Singer’s preference utilitarianism revolutionized animal ethics by asserting that sentient animals have interests that must be considered equally to human interests, provided they are of comparable significance. For example, a pig’s preference to avoid suffering in factory farming carries moral weight akin to a human’s desire to avoid pain. This principle underpins Singer’s advocacy for veganism and the abolition of practices like factory farming and animal testing. Ethical decisions must account for animals’ suffering, often outweighing human conveniences like cheap meat or cosmetic testing.
Practical Implications
Singer’s framework demands systemic changes, such as adopting plant-based diets or reforming agricultural practices. However, resistance from industries and cultural dietary norms complicates implementation, highlighting the tension between ethical ideals and societal habits.
3. Equal Consideration of Interests
Central to Singer’s philosophy is the principle of equal consideration of interests, which rejects speciesism—the assumption that human interests inherently trump those of animals. A cow’s interest in avoiding slaughter is not automatically subordinate to a human’s preference for beef. This challenges practices where animal suffering is dismissed for minor human benefits. Singer argues that only significant human needs, such as medical research for life-threatening diseases, might justify animal harm, but even then, alternatives must be explored.
Challenges in Application
Equal consideration faces practical hurdles, as human societies prioritize economic and cultural preferences over animal welfare. Singer’s call for rigorous ethical scrutiny often meets pushback from those who view animal use as a societal norm.
4. Critiques and Limitations
Critics argue that Singer’s preference utilitarianism oversimplifies complex ethical dilemmas. For instance, prioritizing animal preferences might undermine human needs in resource-scarce contexts, such as indigenous communities reliant on hunting. Others question whether all animals possess preferences significant enough to warrant equal consideration. Singer acknowledges that the capacity for suffering varies, but critics contend this introduces ambiguity in applying the theory consistently across species.
Balancing Interests
Singer’s response is to weigh preferences based on sentience, but this requires nuanced judgment, often lacking in policy or public discourse, making universal application challenging.
Conclusion
Peter Singer’s preference utilitarianism redefines animal rights by emphasizing the moral significance of sentient beings’ preferences. By advocating equal consideration of interests, Singer challenges speciesism and calls for transformative changes in how humans treat animals. Despite practical and philosophical challenges, his framework remains a cornerstone of animal ethics, urging society to align actions with the imperative to minimize suffering across all sentient life.
Question:-2
What is Bioethics? Briefly discuss some key bioethical issues.
Answer:
Bioethics and Key Issues
1. Definition and Scope of Bioethics
Bioethics is an interdisciplinary field that examines ethical issues arising from advances in biology, medicine, and healthcare. It integrates principles from philosophy, law, and social sciences to address dilemmas involving human life, health, and the environment. Bioethics seeks to balance scientific progress with moral considerations, ensuring respect for human dignity, autonomy, and justice. It encompasses clinical decisions, research practices, and public health policies, making it critical in navigating complex issues like genetic engineering and end-of-life care.
Core Principles
Bioethics relies on principles like autonomy (respecting individual choices), beneficence (promoting well-being), non-maleficence (avoiding harm), and justice (ensuring fairness). These guide ethical decision-making in diverse contexts.
2. Genetic Engineering and CRISPR
Genetic engineering, particularly CRISPR technology, raises significant bioethical concerns. While it offers potential to cure genetic diseases, it also poses risks of unintended mutations or "designer babies," where traits like intelligence or appearance are selected. Ethical issues include consent (especially for embryos), equitable access to costly treatments, and the potential for exacerbating social inequalities. Bioethicists debate whether editing the human germline is permissible, as changes are heritable, impacting future generations without their consent.
Regulatory Challenges
Global disparities in regulation complicate oversight. Some advocate for a moratorium on germline editing, while others push for controlled advancements, highlighting the need for international ethical standards.
3. End-of-Life Decisions
End-of-life care, including euthanasia and palliative care, is a contentious bioethical issue. Questions arise about patient autonomy versus societal or medical obligations to preserve life. For instance, should terminally ill patients have the right to physician-assisted suicide? Ethical dilemmas include ensuring informed consent, avoiding coercion, and addressing cultural or religious differences. The principle of beneficence clashes with non-maleficence when prolonging life causes suffering, requiring careful ethical deliberation.
Balancing Autonomy and Harm
Legal frameworks, like those in the Netherlands allowing euthanasia, contrast with restrictive policies elsewhere, reflecting diverse ethical perspectives. Bioethicists advocate for patient-centered approaches but warn against slippery slopes toward abuse.
4. Organ Transplantation and Allocation
Organ transplantation raises bioethical issues around allocation, consent, and commercialization. With organ shortages, decisions about who receives transplants involve justice and fairness. Should priority go to younger patients or those with healthier lifestyles? Ethical concerns also include organ trafficking and coercion in living donations, particularly in vulnerable populations. Bioethics demands transparent allocation systems and protections against exploitation, but global disparities in healthcare access complicate solutions.
Ethical Safeguards
Policies like opt-out donation systems aim to increase supply, but cultural resistance and mistrust persist. Bioethicists push for equitable frameworks to prevent discrimination or profiteering.
Conclusion
Bioethics serves as a vital framework for addressing moral challenges in medicine and biology, ensuring advancements align with human values. Key issues like genetic engineering, end-of-life decisions, and organ transplantation highlight tensions between autonomy, justice, and societal good. As technology evolves, bioethics must adapt, fostering dialogue among scientists, policymakers, and communities to navigate these dilemmas responsibly, promoting equitable and humane outcomes in healthcare and beyond.
Question:-2 (OR)
Write a note on the following in about 200 words each:
a) Difference between ‘Morality’ and ‘Ethics’
Answer:
Difference Between Morality and Ethics
1. Definition and Nature
Morality refers to an individual’s or society’s internal sense of right and wrong, shaped by personal beliefs, culture, and upbringing. It is subjective, often intuitive, and guides personal behavior based on values like honesty or compassion. Ethics, in contrast, is a systematic, reasoned study of moral principles, often codified into frameworks or professional codes. Ethics is more objective, relying on logic and analysis to determine what ought to be done in specific contexts, such as medical or legal dilemmas.
Key Distinction
Morality is personal and fluid, while ethics is structured and universally applicable within a given system. For example, a person’s moral aversion to lying stems from upbringing, but ethical guidelines in journalism explicitly prohibit fabrication.
2. Source and Application
Morality originates from social norms, religion, or personal conscience, varying across individuals and cultures. A community might view polygamy as moral, while another condemns it. Ethics, however, derives from philosophical inquiry or institutional standards, aiming for consistency. For instance, medical ethics, grounded in principles like autonomy and beneficence, applies uniformly to healthcare professionals globally, regardless of personal moral beliefs.
Practical Context
Morality influences everyday choices, like helping a stranger, while ethics governs professional conduct, such as a lawyer’s duty to maintain client confidentiality, even if it conflicts with personal morals.
3. Flexibility and Scope
Morality is flexible, adapting to personal or cultural shifts, but can lead to inconsistencies, as one person’s moral stance may clash with another’s. Ethics is more rigid, designed to provide clear guidelines in complex situations, such as bioethical debates over euthanasia. However, ethical systems evolve through debate and consensus, unlike the often-static nature of personal morality.
Scope of Influence
Morality shapes individual character, while ethics regulates societal or professional interactions, ensuring fairness and accountability in structured environments.
Conclusion
While morality and ethics both address right and wrong, morality is subjective, personal, and culturally influenced, guiding individual behavior. Ethics is objective, systematic, and codified, providing structured principles for professional or societal conduct. Understanding their differences clarifies how personal values and formalized rules interact in decision-making, fostering ethical consistency and moral reflection in diverse contexts.
b) Applied Ethics
Answer:
Overview of Applied Ethics
1. Definition and Purpose
Applied ethics is a branch of ethics that focuses on the practical application of moral principles to real-world issues. Unlike theoretical ethics, which explores abstract concepts like justice or virtue, applied ethics addresses specific dilemmas in fields such as medicine, business, and technology. Its purpose is to provide actionable guidance by analyzing complex situations using ethical frameworks, ensuring decisions align with moral values like fairness, autonomy, and beneficence.
Core Approach
Applied ethics bridges theory and practice, using principles like utilitarianism or deontology to resolve conflicts, such as whether a doctor should prioritize patient autonomy or public health.
2. Key Areas of Application
Applied ethics spans diverse domains, including bioethics, environmental ethics, and business ethics. In bioethics, it tackles issues like euthanasia, genetic engineering, and organ allocation, balancing patient rights with societal good. Environmental ethics examines responsibilities toward ecosystems, addressing climate change or deforestation. Business ethics focuses on corporate responsibility, fair trade, and workplace equity, ensuring profit motives do not override moral obligations.
Practical Relevance
Each area requires tailored ethical analysis. For instance, bioethics may prioritize informed consent, while environmental ethics emphasizes sustainability, reflecting the unique challenges of each field.
3. Methods and Challenges
Applied ethics employs systematic methods, such as case studies and ethical decision-making models, to evaluate dilemmas. It draws on principles like justice and non-maleficence, but challenges arise due to conflicting values or cultural differences. For example, global variations in healthcare practices complicate universal ethical standards for clinical trials. Additionally, rapid technological advancements, like AI, introduce novel dilemmas that outpace existing ethical frameworks.
Overcoming Obstacles
Ethicists address these challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration, integrating insights from law, science, and philosophy to develop adaptable guidelines that remain relevant in dynamic contexts.
Conclusion
Applied ethics is a vital tool for navigating moral complexities in practical settings, offering structured solutions to dilemmas in medicine, business, and beyond. By grounding decisions in ethical principles, it ensures actions reflect moral accountability, despite challenges posed by conflicting values or evolving technologies. Its interdisciplinary nature fosters informed, equitable outcomes, making it indispensable in addressing contemporary ethical issues responsibly.
Question:-3
Answer any two of the following in about 200 words each:
a) What are the salient features of anthropocentric ethics?
Answer:
Salient Features of Anthropocentric Ethics
1. Human-Centered Moral Framework
Anthropocentric ethics prioritizes human beings as the primary, often exclusive, focus of moral consideration. It posits that only humans possess intrinsic moral value due to their rationality, self-awareness, or capacity for moral agency. Non-human entities, such as animals, plants, or ecosystems, are valued only instrumentally, based on their utility to human needs or well-being. This human-centric approach underpins many traditional ethical theories, including utilitarianism and Kantian ethics.
Implication
Human interests, such as economic progress or health, often override environmental or animal welfare concerns, shaping policies like industrial development over conservation.
2. Instrumental Value of Nature
In anthropocentric ethics, nature and non-human beings lack inherent worth and are viewed as resources for human use. Forests, rivers, or animals are ethically significant only insofar as they serve human purposes, such as providing food, materials, or aesthetic enjoyment. This perspective justifies practices like factory farming or deforestation, provided they benefit humans, often disregarding ecological or animal suffering unless it impacts human welfare.
Practical Outcome
This feature supports exploitation of natural resources but may lead to environmental degradation, prompting debates about sustainability within anthropocentric frameworks.
3. Emphasis on Human Rights and Responsibilities
Anthropocentric ethics emphasizes human rights, such as autonomy and justice, and corresponding duties to other humans. Moral obligations are primarily owed to human individuals or societies, with ethical decisions evaluated based on their impact on human flourishing. For instance, medical advancements or technological innovations are prioritized for their benefits to human health or prosperity, often sidelining non-human consequences.
Ethical Scope
This focus fosters advancements in human welfare but can marginalize considerations of animal rights or ecological balance, limiting the scope of moral concern.
4. Critique and Limitations
Anthropocentric ethics is criticized for its narrow focus, which often ignores the intrinsic value of non-human life, contributing to environmental crises and animal suffering. Critics argue it fosters speciesism, undervaluing biodiversity. Some anthropocentric frameworks adapt by incorporating long-term human interests, like sustainable development, but remain rooted in human primacy.
Conclusion
Anthropocentric ethics centers human moral value, treating nature instrumentally and prioritizing human rights and responsibilities. While effective for advancing human welfare, its limitations, including environmental and ethical shortsightedness, highlight the need for broader ethical perspectives in addressing global challenges.
b) Explain the ‘Is-Ought’ gap.
Answer:
The Is-Ought Gap
1. Definition and Origin
The ‘Is-Ought’ gap, introduced by philosopher David Hume in his 1739 work A Treatise of Human Nature, refers to the logical disconnect between descriptive statements about what is (facts) and prescriptive statements about what ought to be (values). Hume argued that one cannot validly derive normative conclusions (what should be done) solely from factual premises (what exists), as this transition requires an additional moral premise or value judgment.
Core Idea
A statement like "Humans compete for resources" (is) does not logically entail "Humans should compete" (ought) without an ethical assumption, highlighting a fundamental challenge in moral philosophy.
2. Logical Basis
The gap arises because factual statements describe objective states of affairs, verifiable through observation or science, while normative statements involve subjective judgments about rightness or obligation. For example, observing that "animals suffer in factory farms" (is) does not automatically justify "factory farming should be abolished" (ought). Bridging this gap requires a moral principle, such as "suffering is bad," which itself is not derived from facts alone.
Philosophical Implications
The Is-Ought gap underscores the need for explicit ethical reasoning, preventing unexamined assumptions in moral arguments and challenging naturalistic fallacies that equate facts with values.
3. Practical and Ethical Challenges
In applied ethics, the Is-Ought gap complicates decision-making. For instance, scientific data showing climate change impacts (is) does not dictate specific policies (ought), as these depend on values like equity or sustainability. The gap forces ethicists to justify normative claims with reasoned principles, but disagreements over values—such as prioritizing economic growth versus environmental protection—persist, making consensus difficult.
Addressing the Gap
Some philosophers, like utilitarians, attempt to bridge the gap by grounding ought-statements in shared values, like maximizing happiness, though these foundations remain contested.
Conclusion
The Is-Ought gap highlights the logical separation between facts and values, emphasizing that moral conclusions require more than empirical observations. It challenges ethicists to articulate and defend normative principles, fostering rigorous debate in moral philosophy. By exposing the limits of deriving ought from is, Hume’s insight remains a cornerstone for understanding ethical reasoning and its complexities in practical contexts.
c) Discuss the different ways to define the idea of personhood.
Answer:
Defining Personhood
1. Biological Definition
The biological approach defines personhood based on membership in the human species, emphasizing genetic and physiological traits. A person is any entity with human DNA, typically from conception or birth. This view, often tied to religious or traditional ethics, grants personhood to embryos, fetuses, or individuals in comas, prioritizing inherent human potential. However, it faces criticism for excluding non-human entities, like advanced AI or sentient animals, that may exhibit person-like qualities.
Implication
This definition is straightforward but rigid, often ignoring cognitive or relational capacities, leading to debates in bioethics about abortion or end-of-life care.
2. Cognitive Definition
The cognitive approach links personhood to mental capacities, such as self-awareness, rationality, and the ability to form intentions. Philosophers like John Locke emphasized consciousness and memory as hallmarks of a person. This view grants personhood to beings capable of complex thought, potentially including advanced AI or certain animals like dolphins, but may exclude infants, severely disabled individuals, or those with advanced dementia.
Ethical Challenge
While inclusive of cognitive sophistication, this definition risks denying personhood to vulnerable humans, raising concerns in medical and legal ethics.
3. Relational Definition
The relational approach defines personhood through social connections and recognition by others. A person exists within a web of relationships, valued by a community or culture. This perspective, common in communitarian ethics, emphasizes interdependence and may include individuals with limited cognitive capacity, like newborns, based on their role in social networks. However, it struggles with isolated individuals or non-human entities lacking social ties.
Practical Context
This view supports inclusive policies but may vary culturally, complicating universal standards for personhood.
4. Moral or Legal Definition
Moral or legal definitions grant personhood based on ethical or juridical criteria, often combining biological, cognitive, or relational elements. For instance, legal personhood may extend to corporations or recognize fetuses in specific contexts. Moral personhood might focus on the capacity to bear rights and duties, as in Kantian ethics.
Conclusion
Personhood can be defined biologically, cognitively, relationally, or morally/legally, each with distinct implications. These perspectives shape ethical debates on abortion, AI rights, and end-of-life care, highlighting the complexity of determining who or what qualifies as a person in diverse contexts.
d) Write a note on the relation between justice and morality.
Answer:
Relation Between Justice and Morality
1. Conceptual Overlap
Justice and morality are deeply intertwined, as both concern notions of right and wrong in human conduct. Morality refers to personal or societal principles guiding ethical behavior, rooted in values like fairness or compassion. Justice, often seen as a subset of morality, focuses on fairness and the equitable distribution of benefits and burdens within a society. Moral theories, such as utilitarianism or deontology, often underpin concepts of justice, providing the ethical foundation for determining what is just.
Shared Foundations
For instance, a moral belief in equality informs theories of distributive justice, ensuring resources are allocated fairly, reflecting morality’s broader influence on justice.
2. Justice as Applied Morality
Justice can be viewed as morality applied to social structures and institutions. While morality governs individual actions, justice addresses systemic issues, such as legal systems, economic policies, or punishment. For example, a moral principle against harm translates into just laws prohibiting violence. Philosophers like John Rawls emphasize justice as fairness, where moral principles of impartiality shape social contracts to protect individual rights and promote equity.
Practical Application
Moral convictions about human dignity drive just policies, like universal healthcare, ensuring societal practices align with ethical ideals of care and respect.
3. Tensions and Divergences
Despite their connection, justice and morality can conflict. Individual moral beliefs may clash with societal notions of justice. For instance, a person’s moral opposition to capital punishment may conflict with a legal system’s just application of it, based on retributive principles. Additionally, justice often prioritizes collective fairness, while morality may emphasize personal conscience, leading to dilemmas in cases like whistleblowing or civil disobedience.
Resolving Conflicts
Such tensions require balancing individual moral agency with societal standards, often through ethical deliberation or legal reforms to align justice with evolving moral norms.
Conclusion
Justice and morality are closely related, with justice serving as a practical expression of moral principles in societal contexts. While morality provides the ethical groundwork, justice ensures fairness in systems and institutions. However, conflicts between personal morals and societal justice highlight the need for ongoing dialogue to harmonize individual values with collective fairness, fostering equitable and morally grounded societies.
Question:-4
Answer any four of the following in about 150 words each:
a) Discuss the theory of environmental ethics.
Answer:
Environmental ethics explores the moral relationship between humans and the natural world, addressing questions about our obligations to ecosystems, species, and future generations. Rooted in philosophy, it challenges anthropocentric views, which prioritize human interests, by advocating for the intrinsic value of non-human entities. Key theories include deep ecology, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of all life and calls for radical societal shifts to protect nature, and ecofeminism, which links environmental degradation to patriarchal structures. Utilitarian approaches, like those of Peter Singer, focus on maximizing overall well-being, including animals, while land ethics, proposed by Aldo Leopold, urges respect for ecosystems as communities.
Environmental ethics critiques unsustainable practices, such as deforestation and pollution, and informs debates on climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource use. It questions whether nature has rights, as seen in movements to grant legal personhood to rivers or forests. Critics argue it can be impractical or overly idealistic, yet its influence grows in policy, conservation, and individual behavior. By fostering a sense of responsibility, environmental ethics seeks to balance human needs with the health of the planet, urging a shift toward sustainable, equitable coexistence with the natural world.
b) Write a note on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Answer:
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) refers to a business model where companies integrate social, environmental, and ethical concerns into their operations and stakeholder interactions. It goes beyond profit-making, emphasizing accountability to society and the planet. CSR encompasses initiatives like reducing carbon footprints, promoting diversity, supporting community development, and ensuring ethical supply chains.
The concept is driven by the belief that businesses, as societal entities, should contribute positively to the communities and environments they operate in. Theories like stakeholder theory argue that firms must balance the interests of shareholders, employees, customers, and the public, while the triple bottom line framework evaluates success based on people, planet, and profit.
CSR benefits companies by enhancing brand reputation, attracting talent, and fostering customer loyalty, while critics highlight risks of "greenwashing," where firms exaggerate efforts for public relations. Effective CSR aligns with core business strategies, ensuring authenticity and impact. Examples include Patagonia’s environmental advocacy and Microsoft’s carbon neutrality goals. Globally, CSR is increasingly mandated, with regulations requiring sustainability reporting. By addressing societal challenges, CSR aims to create shared value, fostering sustainable development and ethical governance in a rapidly changing world.
c) Discuss briefly the debate between ‘right to life’ vs ‘right to choose’.
Answer:
The debate between the "right to life" and the "right to choose" centers on the moral and legal status of abortion, pitting the sanctity of unborn life against individual autonomy.
Right to Life: Advocates, often grounded in religious or ethical convictions, argue that life begins at conception, granting the fetus inherent rights. They assert that abortion violates this right, equating it to ending a human life. This view emphasizes protecting the unborn, with some exceptions for cases like rape or maternal health risks.
Right to Choose: Proponents prioritize bodily autonomy, arguing that individuals have the right to control their reproductive decisions. This perspective, rooted in feminist and libertarian principles, views forced pregnancy as a violation of personal freedom. It emphasizes access to safe, legal abortion, particularly in cases of health risks, economic hardship, or unwanted pregnancies.
The debate is polarized, with legal frameworks varying globally. In the U.S., the 2022 overturn of Roe v. Wade shifted abortion rights to state control, intensifying disputes. Critics of "right to life" argue it undermines gender equality; critics of "right to choose" claim it devalues potential life. Compromise remains elusive, as both sides anchor their arguments in fundamental principles.
d) What is terrorism? Why terrorism is harmful for the social fabric?
Answer:
Terrorism
Terrorism is the deliberate use of violence, intimidation, or fear-inducing acts to achieve political, ideological, religious, or social objectives, typically targeting civilians or non-combatants. It includes acts like bombings, shootings, or cyberattacks, often perpetrated by non-state actors, though state-sponsored terrorism also exists. The intent is to destabilize societies, governments, or communities by creating widespread fear and disruption.
Harm to the Social Fabric
Terrorism erodes the social fabric by fracturing trust, cohesion, and stability within communities. It breeds fear, suspicion, and division, often pitting groups against each other based on ethnicity, religion, or ideology, which fuels prejudice and polarization. The loss of lives, property, and security disrupts daily life, undermining economic stability and personal safety.
Terrorism also provokes heavy-handed government responses, such as surveillance or militarization, which can curtail civil liberties and alienate citizens, further weakening democratic values. It exploits and amplifies social grievances, radicalizing individuals and perpetuating cycles of violence. By targeting shared spaces—markets, schools, or places of worship—terrorism shatters the sense of collective identity and mutual reliance essential for a functioning society. Ultimately, it undermines peace, cooperation, and the social bonds that hold diverse communities together.
e) Write a note on professional ethics.
Answer:
Professional Ethics
Professional ethics refers to the moral principles and standards guiding individuals in their professional roles, ensuring integrity, accountability, and respect in workplace conduct. These ethics vary across fields—medicine, law, engineering, journalism—but share core values like honesty, fairness, and responsibility.
In practice, professional ethics govern decision-making, prioritizing the public good, client welfare, and organizational trust over personal gain. For instance, doctors adhere to the Hippocratic Oath, emphasizing patient care, while lawyers uphold confidentiality and justice. Codes of conduct, often set by professional bodies, provide frameworks for ethical behavior, addressing issues like conflicts of interest, confidentiality, and workplace equity.
The importance of professional ethics lies in fostering trust and credibility. Ethical lapses, such as fraud or negligence, can harm clients, erode public confidence, and damage reputations. Globalization and technology have heightened ethical challenges, with issues like data privacy and AI ethics gaining prominence.
Critics note that rigid codes may not address nuanced dilemmas, requiring professionals to exercise judgment. Nonetheless, professional ethics remain vital for maintaining standards, promoting accountability, and ensuring societal trust in institutions and services.
f) Discuss the abolitionist position in the context of capital punishment.
Answer:
Abolitionist Position on Capital Punishment
The abolitionist position on capital punishment advocates for the complete elimination of the death penalty, arguing it is morally, legally, and practically unjustifiable. Abolitionists assert that the state-sanctioned taking of a life violates the fundamental right to life, regardless of the crime committed. They view it as a form of retribution incompatible with human dignity and ethical principles, often citing religious or humanistic values that emphasize redemption over punishment.
Practically, abolitionists highlight the risk of executing innocent people, pointing to cases of wrongful convictions due to flawed evidence, biased trials, or systemic inequities. They argue the death penalty disproportionately affects marginalized groups, reflecting racial and socioeconomic disparities. Studies show no conclusive evidence that it deters crime more effectively than life imprisonment, undermining its utilitarian justification.
Abolitionists also criticize the psychological toll on executioners and the high financial costs of death row processes, which often exceed those of lifelong incarceration. They advocate for restorative justice, focusing on rehabilitation and victim support. Globally, the abolitionist movement has gained traction, with over 140 countries abolishing the death penalty in law or practice, though resistance persists in nations like the U.S. and China.
Question:-5
Write short notes on any five of the following in about 100 words each:
a) Hippocratic Oath
Answer:
Hippocratic Oath
The Hippocratic Oath is a historic ethical pledge traditionally taken by physicians, rooted in ancient Greek medicine and attributed to Hippocrates. It outlines moral principles guiding medical practice, emphasizing patient welfare, confidentiality, and professional integrity. The original oath includes commitments to "do no harm," prioritize healing, and maintain patient trust, while also invoking divine accountability.
Modern versions, adapted to contemporary values, retain core tenets but often omit religious references and address current issues like patient autonomy and equitable care. The oath underscores non-maleficence (avoiding harm) and beneficence (acting in patients’ best interests), shaping medical ethics globally. It influences codes like the Declaration of Geneva.
Critics note its symbolic nature, arguing it lacks legal enforcement and may not fully address complex modern dilemmas like euthanasia or resource allocation. Nonetheless, the Hippocratic Oath remains a cornerstone of medical ethics, inspiring trust and responsibility in healthcare professionals.
b) Climate change
Answer:
Climate Change
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in global weather patterns, primarily driven by human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes. These actions increase greenhouse gas emissions, like carbon dioxide, trapping heat and causing global warming. Impacts include rising sea levels, extreme weather events, melting ice caps, and biodiversity loss, threatening ecosystems and human livelihoods.
The Paris Agreement (2015) aims to limit warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, but current trajectories suggest significant challenges. Developing nations face disproportionate impacts despite contributing less to emissions, raising ethical questions about global equity. Mitigation strategies include renewable energy adoption, reforestation, and carbon pricing, while adaptation involves building resilient infrastructure and sustainable agriculture.
Skeptics question the extent of human influence, but overwhelming scientific consensus supports anthropogenic causes. Climate change demands urgent collective action, balancing economic growth with environmental stewardship to ensure a sustainable future for all.
c) Freedom of expression
Answer:
Freedom of Expression
Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, enabling individuals to voice opinions, share ideas, and access information without fear of censorship or retribution. Enshrined in documents like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 19), it underpins democracy, fosters creativity, and drives social progress. It encompasses speech, press, art, and digital communication.
However, this right is not absolute. Limitations exist to prevent harm, such as hate speech, defamation, or incitement to violence. Balancing free expression with societal safety remains contentious, especially in authoritarian regimes where dissent is suppressed. Digital platforms amplify voices but also raise challenges like misinformation and online harassment.
Critics argue that unrestricted expression can exacerbate division, while advocates emphasize its role in holding power accountable. Globally, threats like surveillance and censorship persist, underscoring the need to protect this right to ensure open, inclusive societies.
d) Surrogacy
Answer:
Surrogacy
Surrogacy is a reproductive arrangement where a woman (the surrogate) carries and delivers a child for another individual or couple (intended parents). It can be traditional (using the surrogate’s egg) or gestational (using an embryo from the intended parents or donors). Surrogacy enables parenthood for those facing infertility, same-sex couples, or single individuals.
Ethical debates surround surrogacy, with supporters highlighting autonomy and family-building opportunities, while critics raise concerns about commodification of children and exploitation of surrogates, particularly in commercial arrangements. Legal frameworks vary globally—some countries ban it, others regulate it tightly, and a few permit commercial surrogacy, raising issues of cross-border “reproductive tourism.”
Socially, surrogacy challenges traditional notions of parenthood and family. Ensuring informed consent, fair compensation, and psychological support for surrogates is critical. While surrogacy offers hope, it demands careful regulation to protect all parties and uphold ethical standards.
e) Doctrine of double effect
Answer:
Doctrine of Double Effect
The Doctrine of Double Effect (DDE) is an ethical principle, originating in Catholic moral theology, used to evaluate actions with both good and bad consequences. It holds that an action with a foreseen harmful effect is morally permissible if four conditions are met: the action itself is good or neutral; the good effect is intended, not the harm; the good effect outweighs the harm; and there’s no alternative to achieve the good without the harm.
Commonly applied in medical ethics, warfare, and end-of-life care, DDE justifies actions like administering pain relief that may hasten death, provided the intent is to alleviate suffering. Critics argue it’s overly subjective, relying on intent, which is hard to verify, and may justify harmful outcomes too readily. Supporters value its nuance in complex moral dilemmas. The DDE remains influential in ethical decision-making, balancing intent and outcome.
f) Privacy
Answer:
Privacy
Privacy is the right of individuals to control their personal information, physical space, and decisions, free from unwarranted intrusion. It encompasses data protection, bodily autonomy, and confidentiality, forming a cornerstone of human dignity and freedom. Privacy enables self-expression, fosters trust in relationships, and protects against surveillance or exploitation.
In the digital age, privacy faces challenges from technology, with data collection by corporations and governments raising concerns about consent and security. Laws like the GDPR in Europe aim to safeguard personal data, but enforcement varies globally. Critics argue that absolute privacy is impractical in interconnected societies, while advocates warn that erosion of privacy undermines democracy and individual agency.
Socially, privacy debates influence issues like workplace monitoring, healthcare confidentiality, and online tracking. Balancing privacy with security and innovation remains complex, requiring robust legal frameworks and ethical considerations to ensure individuals retain control over their personal boundaries in an increasingly transparent world.
g) Technological enthusiasm
Answer:
Technological Enthusiasm
Technological enthusiasm refers to the optimistic belief in technology’s potential to solve societal problems, enhance human capabilities, and drive progress. It celebrates innovations like artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and biotechnology, envisioning a future of efficiency, connectivity, and improved quality of life. Enthusiasts, including tech entrepreneurs and futurists, argue that rapid advancements can address global challenges, from climate change to healthcare disparities.
However, unchecked enthusiasm raises concerns. Critics highlight risks like job displacement, ethical dilemmas in AI, and widening inequalities due to unequal access. Overreliance on technology may also erode human agency or prioritize profit over social good. Historical examples, like the Industrial Revolution, show both transformative benefits and unintended consequences.
Technological enthusiasm drives innovation but requires balance with critical oversight. Ethical frameworks, inclusive policies, and public engagement are essential to ensure technology serves humanity equitably, avoiding dystopian outcomes while harnessing its potential for sustainable progress.
h) Corporate governance
Answer:
Corporate Governance
Corporate governance refers to the system of rules, policies, and practices that direct and control a company’s operations, ensuring accountability, transparency, and fairness. It defines the relationship between a company’s board, management, shareholders, and stakeholders, aiming to align interests and promote long-term success. Key principles include integrity, independence, and effective oversight.
Good governance involves clear decision-making processes, ethical leadership, and compliance with laws. It mitigates risks like fraud or mismanagement, as seen in scandals like Enron. Boards oversee strategy, appoint executives, and ensure financial accuracy, while shareholders hold them accountable. Global frameworks, like the OECD Principles, guide best practices.
Critics argue governance can be bureaucratic or favor short-term profits over sustainability. Emerging issues, such as ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) criteria, highlight its evolving role. Strong corporate governance fosters investor trust, enhances reputation, and supports economic stability, benefiting both businesses and society.
