GS4 · 10 marks · 150 words

“We are not only responsible for what we do, but also for what we fail to do”- Molière.

Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2025

Dimensions of EthicsIntegrityEthical TheoriesAccountability and Ethical Governance

Syllabus: Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in-human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics - in private and public relationships. Human Values - lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family society and educational institutions in inculcating values.

How toppers approached it

From all 4 answers · about 180 words · 50% drew a diagram.

Opening

  • A restatement2 of 4
  • A definition1 of 4
  • No separate opening1 of 4

Body

  • Points3 of 4
  • Points and prose1 of 4

Close

  • A summary2 of 4
  • No separate close1 of 4
  • A way forward1 of 4

The toppers’ answers

Ishan BhatnagarAIR 5 · CSE 2025 · 164 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening · a definition

This statement reflects upon unethical omissions where a person does not avert a known or predictable evil.

This is because "all it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing".

Hence, Doctrine of responsibility ↓ only responsible for conscious choice having knowledge of outcome

Body · points and prose

Diagram
Doctrine of responsibility / \ Positive action Omission (e.g. liable for (e.g. refusing to feed committing murder) a starving man, who dies)

Implications →

  1. Ethical culpability of turning a blind eye → nudges people to take action. eg > Jessica Lal movement

2 > Crime represents collective mindset of society. eg > sansritization of corruption.

3 > Doctrine of last opportunity → person with last opportunity to prevent a tragedy is most culpable. eg > bridge inspector failing to report structural defect.

4 > Complicity with evil is evil itself → Hannah Arendt → evil is "unreflecting" and "banal".

Hence, we should abide by Gandhijis instruction to hear no evil, speak no evil and see no evil with:

(i) Zero tolerance attitude to corruption (ii) Immediate action on any instance of sexual misconduct, abuse of power etc.

Close · a way forward

None written.

More on 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.

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