(Foundation Elective Paper)

MORAL EDUCATION
Paper Code: 20GENF1

TIME: 2 Hours Max. Marks: 50

Marks Theory: 40
Assignment: 10

INSTRUCTIONS:

There will be a total of five questions. Question No. 1 will be compulsory and shall contain
eight to ten short answer type questions without any internal choice and it shall cover the entire
syllabus. The remaining four questions will include two questions from each unit. The students
will be required to attempt one question from each unit. The students will attempt three
questions in all.

UNIT I
Guiding principles for lifeEthics
a. Guidelines set by society
b. Changes according time and place
Morals
c. Guidelines given by the conscience
d. Always constant

Ethics in the workplace

a. Respect for each other
b. Obedience to the organization
c. Dignity of labour
d. Excellence in action

UNIT II
Concept of Trusteeship
a. Everything belongs to society
b. Man is only a caretaker
c. Our responsibility to ensure welfare of all

Importance of service
a. Responsibility of an individual
b. Man is only a caretaker
c Our responsibility to ensure welfare of all
 1) WHAT IS MORAL EDUCATION

Moral education is the guidance and teaching of good

behavior and values. It is taught to young children in
schools, providing them with a sense of politeness and
lawfulness. By Moral Education “We mean inculcation of
refined ideals, values, principles with a view to bring a
purposeful behavioral change among the inhabitants of
this universe”. Moral education is becoming an
increasingly popular topic in the fields of psychology and
education. Media reports of increased violent juvenile
crime, teen pregnancy, and suicide have caused many to
declare a moral crisis in various nations.
 2) COMPARE AND CONTRAST:MORALS VS ETHICSBY CONSIDERING
A CASE STUDY

3) TRY TO RESOLVE THE CONFLICT IN DECIDING THE ISSUE.

Ethics and morals relate to “right” and “wrong” conduct. While they
are sometimes used interchangeably, they are different: ethics refer to
rules provided by an external source, e.g., codes of conduct in
workplaces or principles in religions. Morals refer to an individual’s
own principles regarding right and wrong.
SOURCE OF PRINCIPLES

Ethics are external standards that are provided by institutions,

groups, or culture to which an individual belongs. For example,
lawyers, policemen, and doctors all have to follow an ethical
code laid down by their profession, regardless of their own
feelings or preferences. Ethics can also be considered a social
system or a framework for acceptable behavior. Morals are also
influenced by culture or society, but they are personal principles
created and upheld by individuals themselves.
CONSISTENCY AND FLEXIBILITY

Ethics are very consistent within a certain context, but can vary greatly
between contexts. For example, the ethics of the medical profession in
the 21st century are generally consistent and do not change from
hospital to hospital, but they are different from the ethics of the 21st
century legal profession. An individual’s moral code is usually
unchanging and consistent across all contexts, but it is also possible for
certain events to radically change an individual’s personal beliefs and
values.

CONFLICTS BETWEEN ETHICS AND MORALS

One professional example of ethics conflicting with morals is

the work of a defense attorney. A lawyer’s morals may tell her
that murder is reprehensible and that murderers should be
punished, but her ethics as a professional lawyer, require her to
defend her client to the best of her abilities, even if she knows
that the client is guilty. Another example can be found in the
medical field. In most parts of the world, a doctor may not
euthanize a patient, even at the patientʹs request, as per ethical
standards for health professionals. However, the same doctor
may personally believe in a patientʹs right to die, as per the
doctorʹs own morality.
ORIGINS

Much of the confusion between these two words can be traced

back to their origins. For example, the word ʺethicʺ comes from
Old French (etique), Late Latin (ethica), and Greek (ethos) and
referred to customs or moral philosophies. ʺMoralsʺ comes
from Late Latinʹsmoralis, which referred to appropriate
behavior and manners in society. So, the two have very similar,
if not synonymous, meanings originally.

Morality and ethics of the individual have been philosophically

studied for well over a thousand years. The idea of ethics being
principles that are set and applied to a group (not necessarily
focused on the individual) is relatively new, though, primarily
dating back to the 1600s. The distinction between ethics and
morals is particularly important for philosophical ethicists.

CASE STUDY

As feature editor for a major daily newspaper, Rebecca found

herself in charge of a broad ar-ray of different departments.
Like most newspapers, her paper ran features on education,
books, science, and the arts—as well as on cars, chess, stars,
gardening, and food. She quickly learned that what makes any
of these departments successful is the skill of the writing—and
that even in areas where she had no discernible interest; a well-
crafted story could seize and hold my attention just as well as a
breaking front-page sizzler. So she always tried to hire young
staff members who, whatever other talents they might have,
were good writers. She had just such a young woman on the
food page. She had come to her from one of the nation’s finest
colleges, and had progressed rapidly to the point where, as
assistant editor, she wrote regularly.

So one summer day, Rebecca noticed that she had submitted a

story on Maine blueberries; she was pleased to see it in the
queue, awaiting publication in several more days. The next day
she looked up from her computer terminal to find the food
editor herself—a woman with decades of experience, one of the
best in the business—standing silently in front of her desk. In
one hand she held a copy of her young assistant’s story on
blueberries. In the other hand, she held a battered, tan
cookbook some thirty years old. She laid each on my desk. And
there, on the pages of that cookbook, was our young friend’s
story, printed word for word

1) HOW WILL YOU APPLY ETHICS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS SUCH AS

HOUSE, YOUR INSTITUTION, SOCIETY, PLAYGROUND ETC.

•Staying productive
•Be accountable for your actions
•Take initiative
•Think critically to be able to solve problems
•Be punctual
•Stay positive
•Stay professional
•Take pride in your work
•Immediately attempting to correct an issue
•Set the example

4) EXPLAIN:
a) HOW YOU CAN BRING EXCELLENCE IN YOUR ACTIONS FOLLOWING
ETHICS

We can bring the excellence in our actions by taking the

following ethics into consideration:
•Trustworthiness
•Respect
•Responsibility
•Fairness
•Caring
•Fair consequences
•Fair treatment
•Recognition
•Communication (be clear and consistent)
•Have office policies
•Transparency
•Trainings
•Have plans of action
•Constructive feedback
 a) EXPLAIN DIGNITY OF LABOUR WITH THE HELP OF SUITABLE EXAMPLES
OR A CASE STUDY

Generally, “Dignity of Labour” involves conducting yourself in

accordance with accepted principles of right and wrong. It is a
matter of using integrity-based decision-making procedures to
guide your decisions and actions.

In the workplace, this may involve acting morally right, being

honest, not cheating your employer, co-workers, or customers,
not stealing from the supply closet, and generally treating your
co-workers well. Other ethical situations may involve
harassment, inappropriate use of the Internet, outside-of-work
activities, etc.

Federal laws impose heavier penalties on employers

convictedof criminal wrongdoing if they cannot prove that
they’vemade efforts to implement ethical measures to prevent
and deter illegal conduct.
Some of the primary forms of employee misconduct orunethical
behavior includes the following:

 Misrepresenting time or hours worked;

 Lying to supervisors;
 Lying to co-workers, customers, vendors, or the public;
 Misuse of your employer’s assets; and
 Lying on reports or falsifying records.

COMMENT UPON THE FOLLOWING IN DETAIL. GIVE SUITABLE EXAMPLES.

“EVERYTHING BELONGS TO THE SOCIETY BUT MAN IS ONLY A CARETAKER”.

The relationship between the individual and society has to be

rightly understood. Why should the individual serve others?
What claims has society on the individual?

When we examine these issues we realize that the individual

can find fulfillment only in society. Born in society, growing up
in society, living in society, man ends his life in society.

In the word Samajam (Society), Sam represents 'unity', aa

means 'going towards'. Samajam (society) means going forward
in unity.
Despite the striking progress in the fields of science and
technology, there has been deterioration in morals and social
behavior because of the growth of selfishness.

Self-interest is predominant in every action. If one's entire life is

governed by selfishness, what happens to society? Every
individual has a responsibility to society, from which he derives
so many benefits.

Society is based on the principle of mutual give and take. Your

primary duty is to show your gratitude to your parents, your
kith and kin, your friends, teachers and others who have helped
you in various ways to make you what you are.

In the educational system today, the spiritual element has no

place. This cannot be true education. Education must proceed
primarily from the Spirit to Nature.

It must show that mankind constitutes one Divine family. The

Divinity that is present in society can be experienced only
through individuals.

Education today, however, ends with the acquisition of degrees.

Real education should enable one to utilise the knowledge one
has acquired to meet the challenges of life and to make all
human beings happy as far as possible. Born in society, one has
the duty to work for the welfare and progress of society.
DISCUSS IN DETAIL THE CONCEPT OF TRUSTEESHIP. GIVE SUITABLE EXAMPLES.
COMMENT UPON MORAL CRISIS.

Salient Features of Trusteeship

Moral Framework – serves as a moral basis for individuals in

positions of wealth.

The individual considers that part of his wealth in excess of his

needs, as being held in trust for the larger good of society and
acts accordingly.

Wealthy people should not just be encouraged to act as

trustees; they are morally required to do so.

Trusteeship could be termed as Moral Socialism or Socialism

with a Conscience as against Scientific Socialism (no stress on
individual or collective morals – equality for all by sheer
economic planning) that has been tried out earlier by so many
people in so many countries.

Nonviolent approach to equitable distribution of wealth was

preferable to either state intervention or the violent means of
the communists.
Trusteeship does not aim at a universal equality of an
arithmetical kind, but nevertheless strives to ensure that all
private property or talent beyond the minimum will be used as
a trust for the public good and not for individual
aggrandizement.

Trusteeship based on love, cooperation and brotherhood must

evolve from the heart; it cannot be imposed from outside.

Social fairness and justice that countries adopting scientific

socialism or communism sought to achieve by sheer coercion,
Gandhi tried to achieve by moral persuasion. Spiritual
transformation is the key.

Trusteeship is not paternalism, for it does not require one to

override the individual’s choice through imposition of one’s will;
the trustee is not performing his acts because he thinks he
knows better, but because his moral motivation requires him to
utilize the excess assets under his control in a manner that is
not for private gain.

When everyone strives to keep society in good shape, then

society in turn would provide an ambience where all are
content and happy.
Ordinary people would take social stratification in their stride;
for the simple reason that there is security for all.

The utilitarian (maximum happiness for maximum people) may

justify the methods employed as long as it secures the desired
goal.

But for Gandhi, the same moral standards that apply to the
ends also apply to the means. In this regard, Trusteeship goes
beyond our existing notions of stewardship, philanthropy, and
social responsibility.

Trusteeship by Mahatma Gandhi

Objective: To alleviate poverty through promoting equitable
distribution of wealth by adopting a spiritual approach to life
and following a moral code of conduct.

End result: Social stability, Peace and harmony in society.

Motto: All for one and one for all.

 HOW YOU CAN BRING ABOUT CHANGES IN COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALLY
CONSIDERING THE CURRENT NEEDS OF THE SOCIETY IN GENERAL?

WHAT IS SERVICE TO MANKIND? COMMENT UPON THE SITUATIONS WHICH CONFER

SATISFACTION FOR THE DOER AS WELL AS THE RECEIVER.

According to the dictionary, service is "an act of helpful activity'

help; aid: to do someone a service."

"Service" can come in all sorts of forms and shapes. Service can
be: doing volunteer work at a local non-profit organization,
watching your friend's children (or even furbabies) if s/he has
an emergency, and even giving some back an item to someone
that they dropped (i.e. money).

We do acts of service every day without even noticing or even

realizing. We don't feel or have the need to be praised every
single second of the day, but just by doing your service you can
feel it.

You can feel the butterflies of excitement when you know that
you did something right.
Why it is that service is so important? Well it is most definitely
rewarding. Service is fun. Service can make a difference in many
people's lives.

Service gives us a sense of purpose and pride.

Plus, by showing our communities what we do for our

community we can bring in more people to accomplish more.

By doing more we can enhance and better our world for our
children and our children's children.

So the next time you do a service, whether it is by chance or on

purpose, make sure or hope that your children or even the next
generation are watching.

That way they will know and see how well the other person or
people feel by the action(s) that their peer(s) did for them. By
showing them, it will lead the next generations to be inspired
about the passion of service to others.
TO SERVE HUMANITY IS TO SERVE GOD OR IMPORTANCE OF
SOCIAL WORK.

A man lives for himself. He thinks and acts to make his own self
secure, comfortable and happy.

His natural instinct of self-preservation makes him behavior this

way. But he becomes truly human only when he tries to make
others secure, comfortable and happy.

To go beyond one’s own self and serve others is social service.

Such statements as “To serve humanity is to serve God” and
“Service before Self”, bring out the importance of social service.

Social service is a duty. From birth to death, individual man goes

on receiving things from society.

He is indebt to society. it is clearly his duty to try to pay up this

debt, to return what he had received of course, the debt is so
heavy that it can never be fully paid up.
Social service is a way of giving back to society a tiny portion of
what one has taken from it. The world is full of poverty, disease,
and suffering.

There are opportunities for social service everywhere. To raise a

fallen man is a social service; to help an old lady out of a bus is
social service to take a blind man across a road is social service.
Such acts put sunshine into a dark life.

There are many inspiring examples of social and humanitarian

service. Florence Nightingale, the Lady of the Lamp, gave a new
turn to nursing by her selfless service to the sick and dying.

Madam Curie dedicated by her life to the task of making science

serves mankind. Damien died a leper in the service of lepers.

Albert Schweitzer gave up a bright career and spent his whole

life serving the ailing in French Equatorial Africa. Jean Henri
founded the Red Cross organization but died a poor man.

Baden Powell, though dead, is still serving the world, through

the Boys Scout Movement. Even our self-interest should make
us serve others. For we rise or fall with our society.
Individual happiness depends upon social happiness. If
everyone tries to make everyone else happy, everyone will find
himself made happy. If we all stop throwing banana skins on
roads, no one will break his bones through a bananaskin.

Finally, social service is a great educational discipline.

It lifts us out of our petty selves. It elevates our minds, hearts

and spirit. It is spiritual training.

It makes our lives richer and fuller. It gives us profound spiritual

satisfaction and makes us really and truly happy.

There is no greater happiness than the happiness that comes to

us through the happiness of others.