01-08-2025 Mains Question Answer
Discuss the differences between consequentialism and deontological ethics. How do these theories help in resolving moral dilemmas in public administration?
Ethical theories serve as frameworks for evaluating what is morally right or wrong. Two prominent theories are consequentialism and deontological ethics. While both aim to guide moral action, they differ significantly in their approach to moral reasoning, especially in the context of public administration, where decisions often involve complex trade-offs.
Differences Between Consequentialism and Deontological Ethics
| Basis | Consequentialism | Deontological Ethics |
| Definition | Judges morality based on outcomes or consequences. | Judges morality based on duty, rules, or intrinsic rightness of the act. |
| Key Thinkers | Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill (Utilitarianism) | Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative, Mahatma Gandhi |
| Moral Focus | Ends justify the means. | Means matter regardless of the ends. |
| Example | Approving a policy that harms a few but benefits the majority. | Refusing to lie, even if lying would save someone’s life. |
| Flexibility | Situational and context-dependent. | Principle-based and rigid in rule-following. |
Application in Resolving Moral Dilemmas in Public Administration
- Consequentialism:
- Helps in policy decisions where trade-offs are involved.
- Useful in cost-benefit analysis, public welfare prioritization, and crisis management.
- Examples:
- Allocating funds to schemes that benefit the maximum number of citizens like MGNREGA.
- It guides decisions like COVID-19 vaccine distribution prioritizing vulnerable populations.
- Disaster management often requires consequentialist decisions for maximum lives saved.
- Deontological Ethics:
- Emphasizes integrity, transparency, and procedural justice.
- Provides moral stability and ensures actions align with constitutional and legal duties.
- Examples:
- Constitutional Obligations towards fundamental rights.
- Whistleblowing (exemplified by Ashok Khemka) reflects deontological duty to truth, even when consequences include personal harm or administrative disruption.
- Equal treatment principle
- Maintaining due process rights
Integrating Both in Practice:
- In real-world dilemmas, administrators often need to balance both:
- Deontological reasoning provides a moral compass.
- Consequentialist thinking ensures pragmatic outcomes.
- Examples:
- RTI implementation balances consequentialist benefits of informed citizenry against deontological duties of confidentiality in sensitive matters.
- Land acquisition dilemmas require balancing consequentialist development benefits with deontological respect for property rights and community consent.
In public administration, ethical decision-making must balance outcomes and principles. While consequentialism ensures efficiency and public welfare, deontological ethics safeguards values and rights. A wise civil servant draws from both to uphold public interest without compromising ethical integrity.