Questions
Q1. Solution to many problems lies not in legislation and laws, but in changing the attitude of the people towards the problem. Explain with the help of examples. (150 words) 10 marks
Q2. Greed is a bottomless pit which is harmful not only for self but for the entire society. Discuss. How can such negative desires be controlled? (150 words) 10 marks
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Model Solutions
Q1. Solution to many problems lies not in legislation and laws, but in changing the attitude of the people towards the problem. Explain with the help of examples. (150 words) 10 marks
Model Structure
Introduction:
- Attitude is a state of mind, a set of views, or thoughts, regarding an attitude object, accompanied by related emotions and a tendency to act in a particular way with regard to that object.
- Attitude is a key determinant of behavior. On the other hand, laws and legislations act as guidelines aiming to enforce certain behaviors.
Main Body:
- Attitude change can act as a more effective tool as compared to laws and legislations to address certain problems because of the following reasons:
- Laws may or may not be successful in bringing desired results. This is because they are externally enforced. In this situation, bringing about a change in attitude through right information, education and communication may be more effective.
- For example, even though cigarette smoking is prohibited in public places, it is a common practice.
- Laws and legislations may be able to bring about only a short-term change in behaviors of individuals. For a sustainable resolution of problems, long-term change is required.
- For example, Patriarchy has caused deprivation of women rights despite constitutional and other safeguards.
- Solution to certain problems is found when people learn through experience of self and others (which brings change in attitude) rather than laws.
- For example, a negative attitude towards vaccines (vaccine hesitancy) can be changed when we know about others' experience.
- The law may act as a solution only when people believe that someone is watching. At other times, adherence to good practices depends on the integrity and attitude of an individual.
- For example, jumping off traffic lights when there are no traffic police.
- Laws may or may not be successful in bringing desired results. This is because they are externally enforced. In this situation, bringing about a change in attitude through right information, education and communication may be more effective.
Conclusion:
- However, it is important to recognize that sometimes legislation and rules themselves become a means to change attitudes.
- For example, rules making it mandatory to wear a seatbelt. In a broader perspective, laws and attitudes need to evolve with time and be progressive in outlook for a country to prosper. Hence, knowing which attitudes to change and how to make them act in favor of the society is essential.
Q2. Greed is a bottomless pit which is harmful not only for self but for the entire society. Discuss. How can such negative desires be controlled? (150 words) 10 marks
Model Structure
Introduction:
- Greed is the insatiable desire to possess things in excess of one’s needs. Greed creates challenges for society in maintaining the balance of demands on available resources.
Main Body:
Negative implications of greed for oneself are:
- Greed causes harm to one’s character through loss of virtue. It makes one prone to anger, jealousy and unhealthy competition.
- It harms one’s relationships with others. Cultivating personal relationships requires one to abdicate greed.
- Greed is never ending. It traps one in a vicious cycle of increasing desires and eventually brings one’s downfall such as in the stock market scam by Harshad Mehta during the 1990s, or in bank frauds by Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi.
- It puts one’s personal goals in conflict with society. e.g., public servants taking bribes or compromising professional integrity for post-retirement benefits.
Negative implications for society are: - Greed creates inequality, deprivation and exclusion in society e.g., the co-existence of prosperity and extreme poverty in the same society due to systemic greed.
- It causes abdication of social responsibility such as through evasion of taxes and corruption.
- It also leads to social tensions and violence, such as in the events leading up to and following the French and Russian revolutions against the bourgeois society, or the Naxal movement against landlords in India.
- Pursuit of greed creates tragedy of commons due to overconsumption and depletion of scarce common resources. Climate change fueled by consumerism is an example of this phenomenon.
- Greed undermines social values such as empathy, fraternity and trust in society.
Such negative emotions can be controlled through investment in one’s character. The religious and moral codes can also be helpful in following ways:
- Build character through cultivating the ten universal virtues of Sadharan Dharma such as dhairya (contentment), dama (self-control), asteya (not taking what belongs to others) etc.
- Follow the path of moderation in desires. It implies that greed is to be shunned but extreme austerity should also be avoided.
- Talisman offers a moral guide to control individual greed, by juxtaposing one’s greed with the needs of the worse off.
- Cultivate emotional intelligence to become conscious of other people's needs. It also helps develop values such as empathy and fraternity.
Conclusion:
- Greed represents a loss of virtue and values for individuals and society. If not controlled, it destroys personal as well as social aspirations.