Importance of virtues like humility and care in public discourse

Source: The post importance of virtues like humility and care in public discourse has been created, based on the article “Humility in public discourse” published in “The Hindu” on 4th July 2024

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper4-Ethics-virtues

Context: The article discusses how political debates have degraded into personal attacks, overshadowing meaningful discussions. It emphasizes the importance of virtues like humility and care in public discourse, highlighting views from philosophers and the need for character education in maintaining democratic ideals.

What Is the Current State of Political Discourse?

1. Political discourse has become dominated by personal attacks rather than discussions of relevant issues.
2. The culture of verbal harassment in response to political criticism is prevalent, largely influenced by TRP-driven media.
3. Discussions often devolve into gladiatorial contests where participants aim to impress with verbal aggressiveness rather than constructive dialogue.
4. The aggressive approach in public discourse teaches citizens to value the harshness of comments over their relevance to public welfare or national issues.
5. Such trends in political communication are widespread across liberal democracies, not just in specific regions.

What Is the Importance of Virtues in Politics?

1. Virtues such as humility and care are essential for maintaining the integrity of democratic discourse, as emphasized by historical thinkers like Montesquieu.
2. Montesquieu advocated for the use of education to cultivate a preference for public over private interests among citizens, highlighting the role of virtues in supporting democratic institutions.
3. The decline in emphasis on character training in modern political philosophy has led to a lack of virtue in public discourse, which is now more about individual achievement than collective well-being.
4. Charles Taylor and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar have also highlighted the importance of character traits in politics, suggesting that the quality of governance depends on the virtues of those in power.

What Does Traditional Indian Thought Say About Knowledge and Character?

1. Traditional Indian thought does not view the pursuit of knowledge as solely an individual achievement; it sees it as a moral and collective endeavor.
2. The Mahabharata, a key text in Indian philosophy, emphasizes the importance of character in the pursuit of knowledge.
3. Prof. Vrinda Dalmiya’s work illustrates this by comparing the Mahabharata and Western philosophy, focusing on the role of humility and care in acquiring knowledge.
4. An example from the Mahabharata shows Sage Kausika learning from a butcher and a housewife, underscoring that knowledge and understanding are enhanced through humility and relational interactions with others.

Question for practice:

Discuss how the emphasis on virtues like humility and care can reshape political discourse and enhance democratic values.