Introduction to Ethics and Values
Domain 1 introduces ethics and values and tests whether you can distinguish moral reasoning from custom, law and etiquette, then apply value frameworks to concrete choices.
Core distinctions
- Ethics is systematic reflection on right and wrong; morality is lived conduct; values are cherished ideals that guide preference.
- Descriptive ethics reports practices; normative ethics prescribes; applied ethics handles cases.
- Intrinsic values are ends in themselves (truth, dignity); instrumental values are means (money, technology).
- Indian traditions link ethics to rta (cosmic order), dharma (duty/righteousness) and the purusharthas: dharma, artha, kama, moksha.
- Thirukkural treats virtue as universal, not sectarian: honesty, non-violence, gratitude and self-control.
Worked example
A student finds a wallet with ₹5,000 and an ID. A consequentialist asks which act produces the best overall result; returning it builds trust and avoids harm. A deontological approach asks whether stealing treats the owner merely as a means; it does. Virtue ethics asks what an honest, responsible student would do. All three converge on returning it, but the reasoning differs. The exam rewards showing that reasoning, not just the answer.
Traps that cost marks
- Treating ethics as etiquette or legality: lawful acts can still be unethical.
- Saying “all values are subjective” and stopping there; the syllabus expects reasoned justification.
- Ignoring intention, context and stakeholders.
- Giving a verdict without identifying the moral principle used.
Exam focus
Define, distinguish, apply. Use one principle clearly and show why it fits.