Mains Practice Questions

Introduction

The dilemma between duty and compassion has been a recurring theme in both philosophy and governance. While Immanuel Kant’s deontological ethics emphasizes unconditional adherence to duty based on universal moral law (categorical imperative), public administration often demands a balance between rule-bound conduct and humane consideration for citizens.

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Kantian Ethics Perspective

• Primacy of Duty:
  • For Kant, moral worth arises only when actions are guided by duty, not by emotions like compassion.
  • Example: Telling the truth is obligatory even if lying could save someone’s life, since truth is a categorical imperative.
• Compassion as Secondary:
  • Compassion, being contingent on emotions, lacks universality.
  • Hence, Kantian ethics allows strict duty to override compassion if both come into conflict.

Public Administration Perspective

• Role of Duty:
  • Civil servants are bound by constitutional values, rule of law, and codes of conduct. Strict adherence to duty ensures impartiality, consistency, and accountability.
  • Example: Denying welfare benefits to an ineligible applicant despite their distress, to uphold fairness and legality.
• Role of Compassion:
  • Compassion is integral to citizen-centric governance. Policies like the Right to Education Act or Ayushman Bharat embody compassion within legal frameworks.
  • Excessive rigidity in applying rules can lead to injustice, alienation, and erosion of trust in governance.
• Balancing the Two:
  • Nolan Committee Principles (objectivity, integrity, accountability) require strict duty adherence.
  • But initiatives like Mission Karmayogi and the Sevottam model emphasize empathy and responsiveness.
  • Administrative ethics suggests a pragmatic middle path, where duty is the guiding principle, but compassion tempers its application.

Critical Analysis

• Merits of Duty over Compassion: Ensures rule of law, prevents arbitrariness, upholds equality.
• Risks of Excessive Duty: May lead to mechanical governance and “red-tapism.”
• Role of Compassion: Acts as a corrective lens to interpret duty in a humane and context-sensitive manner.

Conclusion

While Kantian ethics privileges duty over compassion, modern public administration requires synthesis: duty provides structure, while compassion ensures sensitivity. A responsible civil servant should act within the framework of law and duty, but interpret and implement them with compassion, thereby harmonizing efficiency with empathy.