UPSC Mains 2023 · GS IV · Q4(b) · 10 marks · 150 words

Differentiate ‘moral intuition’ from ‘moral reasoning’ with suitable examples.

हिन्दी में

‘नैतिक अंतर्ज्ञान’ से ‘नैतिक तर्कशक्ति’ का अन्तर स्पष्ट करते हुए उचित उदाहरण दीजिए ।

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “"There is growing evidence that when it comes to moral judgment, human beings appear to be best characterised not as intuitive Deontologists or Consequentialists but as intuitive virtue theorists." Critically analyse the statement.”

Raghav JhunjhunwalaAIR 4 · CSE 2025 · 132 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening

Consequentialists, Deontologists and virtue theorists have different dictums to determine the ethicality of any action, and sometimes may be at loggerheads.

Need for virtue theory:

I) Flaws of consequentialism

Body · points

→ Unintended consequences → Inability of humans to foresee all future situations.

Ex: Ravaging a forest to develop infrastructure.

II). Flaws of Deontology → Extreme Rule Fetish

Ex: Denying govt. welfare just because poor doesn't have documents.

Virtue Theory : Provides that in an ethical dilemma, we must depict virtues in our behavior.

Ex: Abhimanyu despite being trapped @ Chakravyuh, fought courageously.

However, it also has its challenges → merely showing virtue isn't enough. → Sometimes fails to solve the problems at hand.

Close · a summary

Ex: India's idealism & lack of pragmatism in foreign policy pre 1990s.

Thus, there are differing views to determine ethicality...

2 more toppers’ answers to this question, part by part, and how they all approached it: open the question.

Toppers’ answers to other close questions

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Main) Examination 2023, General Studies Paper IV, Q4(b). The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.