UPSC Ethics Simplified | Kant’s Philosophy for Mankind: the caselet

The Caselet

Anmol was a operator by assemblage and a golden-hearted person. He utilized to thrust elder bureaucrats’ vehicles erstwhile helium was posted successful a authorities grooming institute. One time his manager asked him to person a precise elder bureaucrat Mr. George from the airport. While returning from the airdrome helium learned that Mr. George was consenting to bargain a portion of onshore and asked Anmol to link him with the close people. Though Anmol was a thoroughly committed employee, helium inactive utilized to spell beyond his limits to assistance others. He connected Mr. George with Sunil, the landowner. Finally, Mr. George got that portion of onshore with a bully discount.

Anmol and that landowner were from the aforesaid caste, but moreover, it was Anmol’s goodness that helped George and Sunil get a bully deal. Sunil, the landowner, said to Mr. George, “I person seen respective bureaucrats successful my life. Please don’t get maine wrong, but I recovered astir of them selfish, rude, and highly cosmetic. It is lone owed to Anmol that we tin adjacent the  deal.”

Time flies. Anmol was adjacent to his retirement. One time portion visiting Delhi helium got to cognize that Mr. George had go the apical bureaucrat successful a ministry. Just for a courtesy, Anmol went to conscionable Mr. George successful idiosyncratic and requested his unit to pass his coming. One of the secretariat unit asked, “Anmol, does our sir cognize you? Anmol proudly replied,” Oh yes! If you tin delight pass him that Anmol has travel from XYZ institute.”

After fractional an hr the secretariat unit informed Anmol, ” Sir is precise busy. And sorry, he  doesn’t cognize you.” When Anmol was leaving that unit cunningly said, “Our sir don’t springiness clip easy to Collectors and DMs. Why bash you deliberation helium would springiness it to you? You are a driver. Sorry.” Anmol returned.

The adjacent time was Anmol’s farewell. His section was preparing him to felicitate for his bully behaviour and work. Meanwhile, idiosyncratic informed Anmol that a precise elder bureaucrat is coming by formation and helium volition person to spell to person him and that work volition beryllium his past one. Anmol, similar a humble employee, went to the airport. To his utter surprise, helium saw Mr. George, the bureaucrat. He held his emotions and greeted him. The bureaucrat said, “After my meeting, we volition spell to the market. I person to bargain a Pashmina Shawl for my wife. You person to guarantee that I get the champion deal. Is that Ok Anmol?” Anmol was not astatine each amazed erstwhile helium called him by his name. He knew that radical similar Mr. George possesses a crisp representation and ever remembers nett pointers successful their lives for sure.

His farewell clip was 5 pm. Anmol went to the manager country and said, “Sir, I don’t privation to spell anyplace today. Please nonstop immoderate different operator with Mr. George.” That different operator took the bureaucrat to the market. At the shop, the bureaucrat introduced himself to impressment the staff. The shopkeeper said,” Sir, you are a large shot. You don’t request to impressment america with a fewer 100 rupees discount. Prices are fixed here. Please don’t instrumentality maine wrong. I didn’t cognize you. Yes, if you would person travel with Anmol…” He stopped abruptly.

It was 5 p.m. now. The manager asked Anmol to stock his fewer experiences. Anmol went to the dias and said, “I was fortunate to enactment and conscionable truthful galore palmy officers of our country. It has been a travel of large learning for me. I privation to convey everyone. Especially George sir, who is sitting here. He taught maine a fewer lessons successful life. Thank You, sir.”

After the event, Mr. George said to Anmol,”Due to you I felt a nonaccomplishment of minimum Rs.500. I bought a shawl but without immoderate discount. Anmol, you would person gone with me.” Anmol replied, ”Sorry Sir. I was precise emotional. And sir, determination are galore drivers similar me, and we each are quality beings, without immoderate discount.”

Ethicist View: 

In the supra lawsuit determination are subtle issues that telephone for our attraction from the ethical perspective. Anmol understood the aureate regularisation of morals — bash unto others, arsenic you would person them bash unto you.  Simultaneously, helium ne'er tried to instrumentality immoderate favour from the bureaucrat. He follows the Categorical Imperative of Kant,” enactment lone by the maxim done which you tin astatine the aforesaid clip that it becomes a cosmopolitan law.”  He didn’t effort to bring up the bitter incidental adjacent successful his past enactment with the bureaucrat. Instead, helium focused connected the larger question of Kantian morals of universalizability and reversibility. Though helium said to the manager that helium was not consenting to spell with Mr. George, yet it was definite that duty, organisational committedness and dignity were everything to him. Mr. George failed successful carrying each those ethical principles. He was much of a profit-minded idiosyncratic alternatively than a bully quality being oregon a utilitarian. He adjacent didn’t acceptable successful the model — “maximum bully for maximum numbers.” Over each this lawsuit urges the scholar to absorption connected those affectional and rational issues which are counted successful the decision-making process.

(The writer is the writer of ‘Being Good and Aaiye, Insaan Banaen’, ‘Ethikos: Stories Searching Happiness’ and ‘Kyon’. He teaches courses connected and offers grooming successful ethics, values and behaviour. He has been the expert/consultant to UPSC, SAARC countries, Civil services Academy, National Centre for Good Governance, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Competition Commission of India (CCI), etc. He has PhD successful 2 disciplines and has been a Doctoral Fellow successful Gandhian Studies from ICSSR. His 2nd PhD is from IIT Delhi on Ethical Decision Making among Indian Bureaucrats. He writes for the UPSC Ethics Simplified (concepts and caselets) fortnightly.)

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