Comprehensive Companion to Ethics - Concepts and Thinkers: For the Civil Services Main Examination

The contributors to this book include IAS probationers and also Philosophy faculty from premier Civil Service coaching centres.

The book had been laid out under the following chapter heads.

1. Introduction
2. How do we use ethical theories
3. Ethical Relativism
4. Can consequence justify an action?
5. Egoism
➢ What constitutes a moral point of view
➢ Act and Rule Consequentialism
➢ What would you do in the following situation?
➢ What constitutes a right action in Consequentialism
➢ Limitations
6. Utilitarianism
➢ Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832 )
➢ Utilitarianism of Bentham
7. J S Mill (1806-1873 )
➢ Rejection of Intuition
➢ Limitations
8. Non-Consequentialist theories
➢ Divine Command Theory
➢ Scriptural Command Theories
➢ Natural Law Ethics
➢ Categorical Imperatives of Kant (Deontological Theory of Kant)
9. Virtue Ethics
➢ Aristotle’s Theory of Virtue
➢ Use of reason
➢ Virtue
➢ Judging an action as morally correct or wrong
➢ Love and Friendship
➢ Evaluation
Introductionto Indian Ethics
10. Sources of Ethics in India
➢ Dharma
➢ The concept of Rta
11. Divergence in perspectives
➢ Upanishads
➢ Manusmriti
➢ Bhagavad Gita and Ethics
12. Concepts
➢ Atman
➢ Brahman
➢ Doctrine of Karma
➢ Transmigration of Soul
➢ Supreme Goals (Purusharthas)
➢ Sva-dharma
➢ Varnaashrama-dharma
➢ Hindu Rites - Samskaras
➢ Evaluation
13. Buddhist ethics
➢ Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Path
➢ Three maxims of Eight-Fold Path
➢ The Pancha-Mahavratas
➢ Meritorious Deeds in Buddhism
➢ Differences between Buddhist Ethics & Western Ethics
➢ Evaluation
14. Jaina Ethics
➢ vratas (oaths in Jainism)
➢ Tri-Ratnas (The Three Gems)
15. Indian Ethics in Modern and contemporary period
➢ Raja Ram Mohun Roy
➢ Principles of Brahma Samaj
16. Function of religion
17. Swami Dayananda Saraswati and the Arya Samaj
➢ An Ethics Supporting Hindu Nationalism