Mains Practice Questions

1. Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good.

Quotes to Enrich Your Essay:

• “Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good-Mahatma Gandhi
• “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”-Edmund Burke
• “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”-Martin Luther King Jr.

Theoretical and Philosophical Dimensions:

• Moral Responsibility: Cooperation with good embodies the active promotion of justice and righteousness, while non-cooperation with evil is the moral refusal to support or enable wrongdoing. Both are essential for a just society.
• Gandhian Philosophy of Satyagraha: Gandhi’s principle of non-cooperation was a form of passive resistance, emphasizing that refusing to comply with unjust laws or practices is a powerful ethical stance and a duty to uphold truth (Satya) and non-violence (Ahimsa).
• Kantian Ethics: Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative would argue that one must act according to maxims that can be universalized, this includes refusing to support evil, as doing so would make immorality universal.
• Social Contract Theory: Citizens have an implicit contract to uphold the common good, which includes opposing injustice and evil actively or passively by non-cooperation.
• Theological Perspectives: Many religious traditions, such as Buddhism, uphold the duty to reject evil and support good, emphasizing personal conscience and collective morality.
  • For instance, the Buddha taught the principle of kusala (wholesome) and akusala (unwholesome) actions, encouraging followers to cultivate right speech, right action, and right livelihood, components of the Noble Eightfold Path.

Historical and Policy Examples:

• India’s Freedom Struggle: The Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22) led by Gandhi was a pioneering example of mass non-cooperation with colonial rule, emphasizing that refusal to cooperate with evil (colonial oppression) is as vital as cooperation with freedom and justice.
• Civil Rights Movement (USA): African Americans refusal to comply with segregation laws through actions such as bus boycotts and sit-ins was as pivotal as their active demand for equal rights.
  • These nonviolent acts of resistance, inspired and led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., embodied the moral force of the movement.

Contemporary Examples:

• Diplomatic Non-Cooperation: India’s boycott of the SAARC Summit for one decade is a clear act of diplomatic non-cooperation against Pakistan’s support for terrorism.
• Whistleblowers and Ethical Non-Cooperation: Individuals who refuse to cooperate with corporate or governmental malpractice such as, Ashok Khemka fulfill a critical role in confronting evil.
• Boycott Movements: Boycotts of companies engaged in unethical practices (environmental damage, human rights violations) demonstrate collective non-cooperation with evil.
• Social Media Activism: Campaigns like MeToo call out evil (sexual harassment) and Black Lives Matters urge non-cooperation with abusive systems.

Conclusion

It complements active cooperation with good by dismantling structures that enable wrongdoing. As Gandhi said, to remain silent or complicit in evil is to betray the very foundations of morality and humanity. The balance of both active good and principled refusal ensures the flourishing of a just and compassionate society.

2. The world is full of educated derelicts

Quotes to Enrich Your Essay:

• “Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.”-C.S. Lewis
• “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character, that is the goal of true education.-Martin Luther King Jr.
• “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”-Benjamin Franklin

Theoretical and Philosophical Dimensions:

• Educated Derelicts & Wisdom: Individuals who have formal education but lack ethical grounding, critical thinking, or social responsibility, resulting in wasted potential or harmful actions.
  • Education is acquisition of knowledge or skills but wisdom is the judicious application of that knowledge toward good ends.
    • The absence of wisdom leads to dereliction despite education.
• Human Capital Theory Critique: Simply increasing education without developing values, critical reasoning, or emotional intelligence can produce graduates who are unprepared for ethical challenges or societal contributions.
• Philosophy of Education (John Dewey): Education must be experiential and holistic, fostering not only intellect but also empathy and civic sense. Failure leads to educated derelicts.
• Ancient Indian texts like the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads emphasize that true enlightenment arises not from learning alone, but from self-realization, duty, and ethical living.
• Socratic Critique: Socrates warned against mere accumulation of facts without self-knowledge and virtue, emphasizing that knowledge must lead to moral improvement.
• Causes of Educated Dereliction:
  • Commercialization of Education: Focus on rote learning, degrees for jobs rather than holistic development leads to skill without soul. Neglect of ethics, social responsibility in curriculum causes a moral vacuum.
  • Disconnection from Real-World Problems: Theoretical knowledge without practical or emotional engagement results in apathy or irresponsibility. Education is seen as a means to economic mobility rather than personal growth or societal contribution.

Historical and Policy Examples:

• Colonial Education in India: Macaulay’s education system produced clerks and bureaucrats without empowering critical thinking or social reform, leading to a class of educated derelicts complicit in colonial administration.
  • Rapid expansion of education without adequate reforms in pedagogy and ethics sometimes produced graduates who were underprepared for societal challenges.
  • Countries with high literacy rates but low innovation or social progress demonstrate gaps between education and effective, ethical citizenship.
• Corporate Scandals: Instances of fraud, and corruption show education without ethical grounding. Many graduates remain unemployed or underemployed, highlighting mismatch between education and market or social needs.
• Social Media Misinformation: Even educated people sometimes spread misinformation due to lack of critical thinking skills.
  • The presence of educated but ethically compromised leaders in many countries reflects this issue.

Conclusion

As education shapes future citizens and leaders, bridging this gap is essential for the progress of any society. The true measure of education lies not in degrees earned but in wisdom gained and the betterment of humanity that follows.