MODERN INDIA IS SHAPED THROUGH CULTURAL ETHICS, SOCIAL

MORALS AND ANCIENT SPIRITUAL THOUGHTS

Presented by
Miss Akanksha Tiwari, MMS student, SSCMR, Bhiwandi.

ABSTRACT

India is one of the world's oldest civilizations. India is one of the most populated countries in the
world. The Indian culture, often labeled as an amalgamation of several various cultures, spans
across the Indian subcontinent and has been influenced and shaped by a history that is several
thousand years old. Throughout the history of India, Indian culture has been heavily influenced
by Dharmic religions. They have been credited with shaping much of
Indian philosophy, literature, architecture, art and music. Greater India was the historical extent
of Indian culture beyond the Indian subcontinent.

Values are an important part of human existence, his society and human relations. All social,
economic, political, and religious problems are in one sense is reflection of this special
abstraction of human knowledge.

INTRODUCTION

We are living in a globalized village and thinking much about values rather than practice of it. If
we define religion and spirituality we can say that religion is a set of beliefs and rituals that claim
to get a person in a right relationship with God, and spirituality is a focus on spiritual things and
the spiritual world instead of physical/earthly things. If we think rationally we can find the major
evils related to religion exiting in present society are due to lack of proper understanding of
religion and spirituality. If we really know our own religions and values associated with it, we
can create a beautiful world, full or love and respect for each and every human being. The proper
knowledge and practice of any religion’s values can make an integrated man. In the book, The
Buddha and His Dhamma, Dr. Ambedkar elucidated the significance and importance of Dhamma
in human life. The Dhamma maintained purity of life, which meant abstains from lustful, evil
practices. The Dhamma is a perfection of life and giving up craving. Dhamma’s righteousness
means right relation of man to man in all sphere of life. The basic idea underlying religion is to
create an atmosphere for the spiritual development of the individual. He said that knowing the
proper ways and means is more important than knowing the ideal. The major objective of this
paper is to the study the religious philosophy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and to study how he
established that religious and spiritual values enable religious people in particular and humanity
at large to solve contemporary problems.

In every civilized society there are certain rules that govern its subject these rules are based on
moral aspect of society, that later on form a part of law. In these regard law, morality and ethics
cannot be separated from each other. If we look at the form and content of law, we find that a
legal norm may be common with that of religious and moral norm. Law, morality and ethics are
too vague to understand. The legal system is distinct from religion and morality in the form but
not in the content. Law is influenced from both religion and morality and hence their takes place
a sought of interaction between the legal system and the moral and religious faculty of our
society. “In a traditional society laws have never had a very dominating character, but religion
and morality had always had a very predominant role. But in a modern society life changes very
fast, hence morality and religion are under a great pressure. Hence, law is the only alternative to
human development”. At any particular time, for any situation, law becomes a technique to
establish a certain expected social behavior. Morality and ethics are may be for enlightenment

and would facilitate individual peruses. So it can only be concluded that, not only the morality
and ethics are somewhat dependent on law, but also that the law itself is to a considerable extent
dependent on morality and ethics.

ETHICS

Ethics or moral philosophy is the branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending,
and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct. The term ethics derives from
the Ancient Greek word ἠθικός ethikos, which is derived from the word ἦθοςethos (habit,
"custom"). The branch of philosophy axiology comprises the sub-branches of ethics
and aesthetics, each concerned with values.

As a branch of philosophy, ethics investigates the questions "What is the best way for people to
live?" and "What actions are right or wrong in particular circumstances?" In practice, ethics seeks
to resolve questions of human morality, by defining concepts such as good and evil, right
and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime. As a field of intellectual enquiry, moral philosophy
also is related to the fields of moral psychology, descriptive ethics, and value theory.

MORALITY

Morality deals with that which is regarded as right or wrong. Morality stems from an individual's
conscience and from the values of a given society, which might be based on religious tradition or
on political principles such as democracy or socialism. Moral conduct would be that which is
considered 'right' based on people's consciences and society's shared values. Morality is one way
for a community to define appropriate activity. In this sense, morality is both a foundation and an
ultimate aim of society, and ethics is a practical way of discovering how to implement and
preserve moral standards. The concept of 'public morality' is often used to justify the regulation
of sexual matters, including pornography, prostitution and homosexuality, as well as issues of
dress and nudity. This, however, is a narrower application of the idea of moral standards, and
does not involve ethical issues of the same significance as morality in the more general sense.

VALUE

The cause and effect relationship between law and change is very difficult to identify because the
ability of law to produce change is probabilistic, contingent and sequential because even though

some changes can occur, other factors such as the morality and values of society affect the
efficacy and time lag of laws in causing change. On certain issues like truth, individual liberty,
etc., a shared morality and shared values are essential to unify the society. However, not all
values are essential and those should be able to change. To cause change, a law should be
supported by the society. Its efficacy in change is limited on moral issues in society. Examples
are the ineffectiveness of laws prohibiting adultery, homosexual marriage or sexual abuse. The
laws prohibiting many drugs, especially marijuana, have been called the “new prohibition” to
underline similarity with laws prohibiting alcohol usage. It seems that laws on important drives
are more difficult to apply than those on less compelling drives. Marijuana is seen a source of
pleasure for many people therefore control should be imposed only against polluted merchandise.
Morris Grinsberg suggests that laws should deal only with acts that can be precisely defined and
with external observable acts; and the laws should as far as possible respect privacy. Thus, laws
most likely change external behavior, which are consequently later on followed by changes in
attitudes, values and morals. So the range of the “external” is enlarged and sometimes affects
 personal preferences and tastes. In contrast, William Graham Sumner said that laws can regulate
only behavior and not values, morals and attitudes. Examples are laws asserting equality for
blacks which were not accepted by whites for many generations. On the other hand, this law that
required change in behavior has gradually changed attitudes too. Today, the idea of racial
superiority is no longer characteristic of whites. The law can change morality and values under
specific conditions. Even though there aren’t enough empirical studies, it is true that the efficacy
of law depends on it adaptation to morality and values if it aims change.

SPIRITUALITY

Spirituality refers to certain kinds of activity through which a person seeks meaning, especially a
"search for the sacred". It may also refer to personal growth, blissful experience, or an encounter
with one's own "inner dimension."

The term spirit means "animating or vital principle in man and animals". It is derived from the
Old French espirit which comes from the Latin word spiritus (soul, courage, vigor, breath) and is
related to spirare (to breathe). In the Vulgate the Latin word spiritus is used to translate the
Greek pneuma and Hebrew ruah.
The term "spiritual", matters "concerning the spirit", is derived from Old French spirituel (12c.),
which is derived from Latin spiritualis, which comes from spiritus or "spirit".

The term "spirituality" is derived from Middle French spiritualité, from Late Latin
"spiritualitatem" (nominative spiritualitas), which is also derived from Latin spiritualis.

CONCLUSION

The quintessence in the evolution of the human and humane is in the ability of its learning,
observing and introspecting the ethics and values. Ethics and values denote something’s degree
of importance with the aim of determining what action is the best to live or to do or at least
attempt to describe the value of different actions. The fundamentals of living are being learnt on
none other than through the acquisition of language, and the widely developed literature
universally. The introspection of the self and the retrospection only always create room for
further development in any dimension in general and in ethical point of view in particular.

The very widely discussed issue all over the world is the inclination of ethical values and morals.
It is being perceived by most of the intellectual and spiritual masters that the culture is slipping
into red with a quick evasion of the standards as suggested by our ancestors. It is the need of the
hour to introspect ourselves and retrospect the globe around with a deep analysis to know about
the rich heritage of humane of the world in general and of India in specific. To the credit of our
nation we do have lot of guiding literature to us from ages back to thousands of years and that
provides the rays of light for each and every walk of our life.

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