UPSC Mains 2022 GS4 Q3 — Ethical Quotations
What does each of the following quotations mean to you? (Answer in 150 words) (a) "Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have the right to do and what is right to do." – Potter Stewart (Answer in 150 words) (b) "If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel that there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are father, mother and teacher." – A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (Answer in 150 words) (c) 'Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it." – Dalai Lama (Answer in 150 words)
Similar Previous Year Questions
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GS4 2019 Q6 Ethical Philosophers
What do each of the following quotations mean to you ? (a) “An unexamined life is not worth living”. – Socrates (150 words) (b) “A man is but a product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes.” – M. K. Gandhi (150 words) (c) “Where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character. When there is beauty in the character, there is harmony in the home. When there is harmony in the home, there is order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world.” – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (150 words)
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GS4 2018 Q6 Ethical Quotations
What do each of the following quotations mean to you in the present context ? (a) “The true rule, in determining to embrace, or reject any thing, is not whether it has any evil in it; but whether it has more evil than good. There are few things wholly evil or wholly good. Almost every thing, especially of governmental policy, is an inseparable compound of the two; so that our best judgment of the preponderance between them is continually demanded.” — Abraham Lincoln (150 words) (b) “Anger and intolerance are the enemies of correct understanding.” — Mahatma Gandhi (150 words) (c) “Falsehood takes the place of truth when it results in unblemished common good.” — Tirukkural (150 words)
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GS4 2020 Q6 Ethical Quotations
6. What do each of the following quotations mean to you? (a) "Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If not, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way." - Swami Vivekanand (150 words) 10 (b) "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." - Mahatma Gandhi (150 words) 10 (c) "A system of morality which is based on relative emotional values is a mere illusion, a thoroughly vulgar conception which has nothing sound in it and nothing true." - Socrates (150 words) 10
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GS4 2025 Q7 Quotation analysis
Given below are three quotations of great thinkers. What do each of these quotations convey to you in the present context? "The strength of a society is not in its laws, but in the morality of its people." – Swami Vivekananda (Answer in 150 words)
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GS4 2025 Q5 Quotation analysis
Given below are three quotations of great thinkers. What do each of these quotations convey to you in the present context? "Those who in trouble untroubled are, Will trouble trouble itself." – Thiruvalluvar (Answer in 150 words)
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GS4 2025 Q6 Quotation analysis
Given below are three quotations of great thinkers. What do each of these quotations convey to you in the present context? "The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes." – William James (Answer in 150 words)
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GS4 2024 Q7 Thinkers and Philosophers
"In law, a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics, he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so." -Immanuel Kant (Answer in 150 words)
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How this topic is evolving
The ethical focus has transitioned from general philosophical conduct to the 'Trust Ecosystem' within healthcare governance, particularly the conflict between medical innovation and scientific integrity. Recent developments like the Supreme Court’s intervention in stem cell therapy for Autism and the regulation of 'medical pseudoscience' illustrate a shift where the 'right to do' (innovation) is strictly moderated by the ethical 'right to do' (evidence-based safety).
“In the pursuit of medical innovation and universal healthcare, the line between ‘innovation’ and ‘medical pseudoscience’ is often blurred.” In the context of the recent judicial and regulatory interventions regarding unproven therapies and drug safety, discuss the ethical responsibilities of healthcare professionals and the state in building a trust-based health ecosystem. (Answer in 150 words)
Why this framing: Supreme Court's ruling on stem cell therapy for Autism and the ban on Nimesulide under Section 26A.
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- mean to you
- Scope keywords
- difference between what you have the right to do and what is right to docorruption freenation of beautiful mindsfather, mother and teacherJudge your successwhat you had to give up
- Implicit sub-parts
- In part (a), the tension between legal entitlement/authority and moral duty.
- In part (b), the specific psychological and pedagogical roles of the primary socialization circle in character building.
- In part (c), the distinction between 'outcome-based success' and 'integrity-based success' via trade-off analysis.
- Applying each quote to contemporary public service or administrative ethics.
- Common pitfalls
- Treating the responses as generic essays rather than ethical analyses using terms like values, virtue, and deontological vs teleological ethics.
- Failing to explain WHY the teacher/parent triad is more effective than legal or institutional mechanisms in curbing corruption.
- Interpreting 'what you had to give up' in (c) only as hard work/sleep, rather than focusing on the ethical cost (e.g., giving up values for wealth).
- Writing a biography of the authors instead of an interpretation of their words.
- Dimensions required
- Legal vs Moral dichotomyPrimary socialization and value-based educationConsequentialism and virtue ethicsIndividual vs Societal transformation
- Marks allocation hint
For each 150-word part, spend 30 words defining the core concept, 80 words illustrating the quote with a concrete real-world example (preferably from administration), and 40 words on the relevance to a public servant's conduct today.
How examiners have framed this topic over the years
The framing has shifted from personal moral discipline to exploring the systemic tension between law, societal success, and institutional morality.
Between 2016 and 2020, the examiner's framing of ethics evolved from direct conceptual questions (e.g., 2016 on social well-being) to abstract philosophical interpretations of internal character and 'service to others' (2019 and 2020). In 2022, the lens shifted toward practical discernment in leadership, specifically contrasting legal rights with ethical duties (Potter Stewart) and the role of success-valuation (Dalai Lama). Subsequently, in 2025, the framing consolidated these threads by testing the institutional impact of morality over law, marking a shift from individual self-improvement to societal strength.
PYQs this pattern was synthesized from
Answer Skeleton — fill this in
(a) Potter Stewart: Ethics vs. Legal Rights
Ethics transcends mere legal compliance, distinguishing between what the law permits and what morality demands.
Legal Limits vs. Moral Excellence
- Exercise of Discretion: Utilizing administrative power not just legally, but for the "greatest good" [Laxmikant, Ch. 75].
- Corporate Responsibility: Avoiding "Tax Avoidance" which is legal but harms the social contract [NCERT Class 11 Business Studies, Ch. 6].
- Digital Ethics: Balancing the right to free speech against the duty to prevent misinformation.
Conclusion
Ethics serves as an internal compass that ensures the "Rule of Law" does not become "Rule by Law."
(b) A.P.J. Abdul Kalam: Pillars of a Corruption-Free Society
Individual integrity is a product of primary socialization within the family and the school environment.
Societal Architects of Integrity
- Mother: Cultivates foundational Emotional Intelligence and empathy during formative years [NCERT Class 12 Psychology, Ch. 9].
- Father: Acts as a role model for civic discipline and external social conduct.
- Teacher: Instills secular values and the Scientific Temper as per Article 51A [Laxmikant, Ch. 9].
Conclusion
A value-based education system, as envisioned in NEP 2020, is essential to transform the national character.
(c) Dalai Lama: Success and Sacrifice
True success is measured not by material accumulation, but by the preservation of one's conscience during the pursuit.
Dimensions of Ethical Achievement
- Means over Ends: Adhering to Gandhian "Purity of Means" despite personal costs [Spectrum, Modern India: Gandhian Thought].
- Integrity: Sacrificing career advancement to uphold Whistleblower principles [2nd ARC, 4th Report].
- Public Service: Prioritizing "Duty over Self" (Nishkama Karma) in administrative challenges.
Conclusion
The worth of an achievement is diminished if it necessitates the surrender of core human values.
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