GS4 · Topic
Dimensions of Ethics
What ethics is and how it is divided: descriptive, normative and applied ethics, the essence and determinants of ethical action, consequences of ethics in human action.
503 UPSC Mains GS4 questions on Dimensions of Ethics that toppers answered in test series, CSE 2014–2025, most answered first. Open one to see how toppers opened, built and closed it.
"There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." Discuss the significance of this statement in present day India.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2017
Dimensions of EthicsHuman Values
What does each of the following quotations mean to you? "It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently." – Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2023
Dimensions of EthicsEmotional Intelligence
"It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of our dodging of responsibilities." - Josiah Stamp
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2021
Dimensions of EthicsEthics in Private and Public Life
Which teachings of Mahatma Gandhi are most relevant for resolving contemporary social conflicts? Discuss.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2025
Indian ThinkersDimensions of Ethics
Explain in brief, what you understand by the following:
20 marks · 300 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2020
Dimensions of EthicsHuman Values
'Niti' must be more concerned with 'nyaya' i.e. the elimination of removable injustices rather than defining a perfectly just society. Discuss.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2025
Indian ThinkersDimensions of Ethics
Given below are two quotations. Bring out what they mean to you in the present context: (a) "We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far."
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2017
Human ValuesDimensions of Ethics
The ends, no matter how valuable, cannot justify the means. Analyse. In your opinion, what is more important, adherence to means or to focus on ends?
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2023
Dimensions of EthicsEthical Theories
"Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good." Discuss.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2025
Human ValuesDimensions of Ethics
Bring out the differences between the ethical issues faced by government and private institutions and the reasons therein.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2022
Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentCorporate Governance
Though conscience generally serves as a crucial guide in ethical decision-making, it is sometimes fraught with limitations. Discuss.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper
Sources of Ethical GuidanceDimensions of Ethics
What do you understand by the term 'Situation Ethics'? Critically analyze its strengths & weaknesses in making moral judgements.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2023
Dimensions of EthicsEthical Theories
Discuss what the following quotes mean to you. "It is not because men's desires are strong that they act ill; it is because their consciences are weak." - JS Mill
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2025
World ThinkersDimensions of Ethics
Analyze the ethical issues in (i) Abortion (ii) Euthanasia (iii) Death Penalty
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2024
Dimensions of EthicsEthical Theories
"Environmental values are more important than economic values". Discuss the above statement with examples in the context of inclusive growth of a nation.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper
Environmental EthicsDimensions of Ethics
Public service attitude reflects core public service values of honesty, devotion to duty, justice, fairness to ensure public interest and well being. Discuss the significance of such an attitude and mention the common biases that influence decision making in the field. 3(B) 'Religion is the opium of the masses'. Examine the statement and discuss the role of religion in moral life.
Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2024
AttitudeIndian Thinkers
Jomath is known as the winter abode of lord Badrinath. Tourists visit for religious pilgrimage as well as for its scenic beauty. One of 6 tehsils, it was all quiet and business as usual in the city until the last few months of 2022 when forces of nature began to push back and residents began to protest. Their homes -- and other manmade structures in the city -- started developing cracks. Upon consltations with experts, it was determined that the town sits atop ancient glacial debris, and the region is hit by a geological phenomenon known as land subsidence, which is a gradual settling, or sinking of the surface due to the removal of water, oil, natural gas, or mineral resources from the ground. Jomath was always vulnerable to earthquakes as the region falls in the seismic zone V. What made things worse is the weak foundation of the city. Every structure needs a strong foundation, but Jomath, which houses over 20,000 people, apart from the heavy tourist influx, has none. In the last several decades a boom in construction has made this region extremely vulnerable and susceptible to major land deformation. Experts blame the rapid rise in construction activities in the area to the widening of the Yatra road and National Highway 7, which runs through the town taking tourists and cargo to the holy shrine every year. The land subsidence was also triggered by an incessant spell of rain in the region in the last few years, which deposited more water on the surface. There is an increasing thrust on economic development all around the globe after the pandemic. At the same time, there is also an increasing concern about environmental degradation caused by development. Many a time, we face a direct conflict between development activity and environmental quality. It is neither feasible to stop or curtail the developmental process, nor it is advisable to keep degrading the environment, as it threatens our very survival. a) What are the ethical issues involved in the conflict between development activity and environmental quality? b) Discuss some possible strategies which could be adopted to eliminate this conflict and which could lead to sustainable development.
20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2023
Environmental EthicsDimensions of Ethics
What does each of the following quotation mean to you? a) A man can give up a right, but he may not give up a duty without being guilty of a grave dereliction. b) Justice without force is futile, force without justice is tyrannical.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper
Dimensions of EthicsIndian Thinkers
Given below are two quotations of moral thinkers / philosophers. For each of these bring out what it means to you in the present context. (a) "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated". (b) "Prejudices are what fools use for reason"
Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2020
Dimensions of EthicsHuman Values
Why are certain rights considered universal in nature? Explain using examples.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2020
Dimensions of EthicsHuman Values
"It is not because men's desires are strong that they act ill; it is because their consciences are weak." J S Mill
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2025
World ThinkersDimensions of Ethics
“Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it.” Do you agree? Illustrate with the help of examples.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper
Human ValuesDimensions of Ethics
Greed is a bottomless pit which is harmful not only for self but for the entire society. Discuss. How can such negative desires be controlled?
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2022
Dimensions of EthicsHuman Values
The challenge of climate change presents the world with several fundamental ethical dilemmas. From a global perspective, it presents the world with a collective action problem: all countries have a collective interest in controlling global carbon emissions. But each individual country also has incentives to over-consume in response to societal demands for economic growth and prosperity. Developing nations faced with these costs may encounter further challenges as the impact of climate change will most likely fall disproportionately on the poor, thus also raising issues of fairness and inequality. As an intergenerational problem, the consequences of actions taken by the current generation will have the greatest impact on future generations. While it is intuitive that the current generation has some ethical responsibility to leave an inhabitable world to future generations, the extent of this obligation is less clear. Answer the following questions in this regard: (a) To what extent do humans have a moral responsibility to future generations that are yet to be born? (b) Do developed countries have a greater responsibility to take action and bear more costs of controlling climate change than developing countries?
20 marks · 250 words · Answered by 1 topper
Environmental EthicsEthics in International Relations
Define “Techno-ethics”. How is it becoming increasingly relevant in AI-driven governance?
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2025
Technology and EthicsDimensions of Ethics
The high debt to GDP ratio of states like Punjab (~53%) have raised questions about the ethics of freebie culture.
Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2025
Utilisation of Public FundsEthical Dilemmas in Government
What do each of the following quotations mean to you? (30) (a) "We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far." - Swami Vivekananda
30 marks · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2022
Indian ThinkersHuman Values
"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently." - Henry Ford
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper
Human ValuesDimensions of Ethics
Due to the recent proliferation of social media, influencers have become important agents of change in the society. Discuss with examples. Also, highlight the ethical issues involved.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper · CSE 2023
Social Influence and PersuasionTechnology and Ethics
Moral behaviour is not only good for the community in which one is a part but also for the individuals who profess it. Comment.
10 marks · 150 words · Answered by 1 topper
Dimensions of EthicsHuman Values