why to be MORAL?

Is it in our self-interest to be ethical or moral or it is advantageous to be moral?

·         Thomas Hobbes, a 17^th century English philosopher described a life where people had not come to co-operate in ethical manner but to avoid solitary, poor, brutish and short life.

·         Hobbes is best known for his book leviathan, in which he argued for the necessary supremacy of a strong monarch, he argued that before being civilized, humanity existed in a state of nature, where all world at war with the other.

·          Their lives were solitary, poor Brutish and short, to escape from this state, people had to join together in a “social contract” under a king and give their natural right to him.

·          This arrangement would be in the self interest of people living in Brutish state of nature.

·         In Hobbes system, the sovereign is protecting the interest of his people, the sovereign is creating the condition necessary for ethical behaviour, by laying down the law and judging disputes, the sovereign creates difference between what is right and what is wrong.

·         Moreover Hobbes point also implies that even if individual life does not flux well by following ethical rule, some level of ethical behaviour is necessary for a cohesive society.

·         By being ethical we contribute to that cohesiveness, living in a cohesive society is much more favourable than living in culture of back stabbers and thief.

·          Similarly kautlyas maintains that if there is not state, then there will be complete anarchy, there will be “Mats nyay” i.e. justice of fish world will take over where a stronger exploits weaker.

·         (Kantalya’s “Arthshastra” a 300 b.c. is a text book on state craft.)

·         He writes about Raj Dharma i.e. duty of king is to maintain peace and order in the state, he tries to establish great empire, for that he propounds principle, following which a ruler may become Chakravarty.

Indian Philosophy:

·         In Indian Philosophy, human existence and very purpose of life is explained with reference to theory of purushartha i.e. human values.

·         The four purushartha -

·         1. Dharma (right conduct/ duty)

·         2. Arth (economic well being)

·         3. Kam (sensual pleasure)

·         4. Moksh (liberation or salvation).

Plato (Disciple of Socrate)

·         Plato lives in Athens and is a prominent Greek philosopher he immortalized his teacher Socrates in a series of dialogues.

·          In one of his dialogues in republic, he has dealt with the concept of justice or moral rightness.

·         Plato through Socrates argued that there will be justice only when there is a “rule of reason” and the people obey its command.

·         In other words, Plato claims that ruler must be a philosopher.

·         In the republic, the interlocutors of Socrates argued that everyone would like to be immoral if there were not the threat of punishment and unpopularity.

·         Further “glaucon” (older brother of Plato) asks Socrates whether justice is good in it or is necessary evil.

·         Playing devil’s advocate glaucon hypothesis that ideal state of existence would be one where we have absolute power and complete freedom to indulge ourselves, but then others would also seek same power and this would interfere in our freedom.

·         Consequently there would be state of chaos where none would succeed in fulfilling their desire, therefore we compromise and result of that compromise is justice.

·         It is better than chaos but worse than undisturbed power.

·         To illustrate his point glaucon tells a story of a shepherd named Gyges who finds a Ring that at his commands makes him invisible

·         He used to escape the sanctions of society in order to fulfil his greed.

·         glaucon asked whether it is not plausible to suppose that we all will not likewise, then he offers a thought experiment to compare the life of the seemingly just man(But really unjust) who is incredibly successful as against with the life of seemingly unjust man (but really just) who is incredibly unsuccessful.

·         Now the question is which one we should choose.

·         Socrates answered- we should choose life of the unsuccessful just person because it is our advantage to be moral.

·         Socrates answer depends on the notion of mental well being.

·         Socrates believes that justice is not only means to happiness but essential to it.

·         Justice is intrinsically valuable and brings about a healthy soul.

·          He argues that immorality corrupts the inner person; it weakens the soul and makes it a slave of desire and passion.

·         On the contrary, a moral person is able to tame beast of desire and thereby acquire justice.

·          For Socrates, soul is more honourable than the body, thus one is happy or unhappy in exact proportion to one’s moral integrity.