Mains Practice Questions

1. Ans:

• Quotes to Enrich Your Essay:
  • Mahatma Gandhi: "There is no ‘way to peace,’ peace is the way."
  • Albert Einstein: "Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding."
  • Søren Kierkegaard: "Truth is a subjectivity.”
• Theoretical and Philosophical Dimensions:
  • Moral Relativism vs. Absolutism: The concept that right and wrong are shaped by cultural, historical, and individual perspectives, opposing the notion that there is a universal standard.
  • Ethics of Perspective: From an ethical standpoint, what is deemed right in one culture or context may be viewed as wrong in another, underscoring the fluidity of moral judgment.
  • Constructivist Epistemology: Knowledge is constructed through experiences and perceptions. From this lens, the distinction between right and wrong is not fixed but constructed through individual and collective experiences.
  • Buddhism and the Nature of Duality: Buddhist philosophy holds that dualities like right and wrong are mental constructs that contribute to suffering; transcending these distinctions leads to a greater understanding of interconnectedness.
  • Ethical Subjectivism: The idea that moral opinions are expressions of individual feelings, not objective truths, suggesting that right and wrong are subjective and relative.
• Policy and Historical Examples:
  • The Civil Rights Movement: In the mid-20th century, the “right” to equality was a perspective fought for by those who viewed segregation as an injustice, while the “wrong” was seen by the proponents of racial segregation.
  • Colonialism: European colonization was perceived as "right" by colonizers and a civilizing mission, while those colonized saw it as oppression, highlighting the Ethical Dilemmas in Warfare: The justifications for war often differ across cultures and eras.
    • For example, the justification of war in World War II was seen as a necessary evil by the Allied forces, but from the perspective of the Axis powers, it was a defensive action.
• Contemporary Examples:
  • Same-Sex Marriage: What is considered “right” or “wrong” regarding same-sex marriage varies greatly across societies. In many countries, it is a right, but in others (like India), it remains controversial and forbidden.
  • Animal Rights: The ethical debate around the treatment of animals in industries like farming, entertainment, and research shows how perspectives shape what is seen as moral or immoral behavior.
  • Climate Change Actions: Some view aggressive climate change policies as “right” to safeguard the planet, while others view them as “wrong” due to economic impacts, demonstrating how different perspectives lead to varying moral judgments on the same issue.

2. Ans:

• Quotes to Enrich Your Essay:
  • Carl Sagan: “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”
  • Immanuel Kant: “Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is an organized life.”
  • Aristotle: "The more you know, the more you realize you don't know."
• Theoretical and Philosophical Dimensions:
  • Science and Rationality: Science provides us with factual knowledge about the world around us, from understanding the cosmos to uncovering biological processes, but it is through reason that we apply this knowledge to guide human behavior and decision-making.
  • Practical Wisdom (Phronesis): Aristotle’s concept of practical wisdom suggests that knowledge alone is insufficient without the ability to apply it judiciously. Reason is necessary for determining the best course of action in various contexts.
  • Ethical Decision-Making and Reason: While science can offer data on consequences, reason helps us weigh these facts and make decisions that align with our moral values, social goals, and emotional needs.
  • Postmodernism and the Limits of Science: Postmodern thought critiques the over-reliance on objective scientific knowledge and emphasizes the importance of subjective reason in guiding human steps, suggesting that reason adds meaning to the cold facts science provides.
  • Human Agency and Free Will: The role of reason in guiding human decisions highlights the active role humans play in shaping their own lives, distinguishing us from mere biological organisms subject to instinctual behavior.
• Policy and Historical Examples:
  • The Space Race (Cold War Era): Science provided the knowledge to reach the stars, but it was the strategic reasoning of nations—focused on political ideologies, national pride, and international competition—that guided the direction of space exploration.
  • The Enlightenment: The movement emphasized reason as a guide to human progress, which eventually led to scientific discoveries, but also emphasized ethical frameworks that could guide human society.
  • Environmental Policies and Reasoning: The application of scientific research on climate change is crucial, but it is the reasoned application of this knowledge into sustainable policies and global cooperation that shapes the future of the planet.
• Contemporary Examples:
  • AI and Ethics: The development of artificial intelligence is driven by scientific knowledge, but the ethical reasoning regarding its use (privacy, employment, autonomy) will guide how AI shapes the future.
  • Gene Editing and CRISPR: While the science of gene editing holds great potential, it is reason, informed by ethics, that must guide its application, especially in areas like human genetic modification.
  • Renewable Energy Transition: The shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy is driven by scientific advancements in energy technology, but it is the reason—the balance of economic, social, and environmental factors—that will determine how quickly and effectively we transition to a sustainable future.