The Ethics of Governance: Moral Limits of Policy Decisions

Foreword
Preface
Contents
About the Authors
1 Introduction
	1.1 Normative Ethics and Applied Ethics
	1.2 Ethics in Governance or Ethics and Governance?
	1.3 Role of Ethics in Governance: Mapping the Relation Between the Two
	1.4 About the Book: Scope and Overview
	1.5 Methodology
	1.6 Chapter Summaries
	References
2 The Role of Public Practical Reasoning in Good Governance
	2.1 Introduction
	2.2 Why have a government?
	2.3 Difference Between Government and Governance
		2.3.1 Principles of Good Governance in a Democracy
	2.4 Justice as a Normative Value of Good Governance
	2.5 The Role of Public Reason in a Democracy
	2.6 The Role of Public Practical Reasoning in Good Governance: Rational Versus Reasonable
	2.7 Social Choice Theory and Its Framework for Governance
	2.8 Major Western Ethical Frameworks and Concepts
		2.8.1 Consequences Versus The Principles Paradigm
		2.8.2 The Good or the Right Act
	2.9 Alternate Ethical Frameworks
		2.9.1 The Good and the Right Act: The Idea of Dharma
		2.9.2 Care, Capability and the Virtue Ethics Approach
		2.9.3 Interdependence, Compassion and Ubuntu
	2.10 Models of Governance Based on Different Ethical Frameworks
	2.11 What is a Public Policy?
		2.11.1 Steps in Framing a Public Policy, and the Significance and Limits of Its Normative Content
		2.11.2 Limits to Ethics in the Domain of Public Policy
	References
3 Introducing the Cases
	3.1 Introduction
	3.2 Case I: The Sardar Sarovar Project
		3.2.1 The Project
		3.2.2 Timeline of the Project
		3.2.3 Sustainable Development: A Few Core Values to Consider
		3.2.4 Ethical Considerations in the SSP
	3.3 Case II: Animal Experimentation in India
	3.4 Case III: Reservation Policy in India
		3.4.1 A Brief History of the Reservation System in India
	References
4 Western Consequence-Based Ethics: Cost Versus Benefits
	4.1 Introduction
	4.2 Anatomy of a Cost–Benefit Analysis Approach
	4.3 From the Cost–Benefit Analysis to Consequentialism
		4.3.1 Utilitarianism: The Principle of Utility and the Greatest Happiness Principle
		4.3.2 Prominent Utilitarian: Jeremy Bentham
		4.3.3 Prominent Utilitarian: John Stuart Mill
		4.3.4 Evaluating the Principle of Utility
	4.4 Versions of Consequentialism: Utilitarianism and Beyond
	4.5 Strength of Consequentialism
	4.6 Objections to Consequentialism
	References
5 Principle-Based Ethics: Means Versus Ends
	5.1 Introduction
	5.2 Immanuel Kant: Consequences do not matter; The Motive behind the action does!
		5.2.1 Two Kinds of Motives/Intentions: Motives of Inclination Versus Motives of Duty
	5.3 The Moral Law as the Source and Authority of Duty
	5.4 Duty determined by the Two Formulations of the Moral Law
		5.4.1 Examples of ‘Duty’ in Kant’s Moral Philosophy
		5.4.2 Can there be exceptions to performing the Moral Duty?
	5.5 Human Dignity and Human Rights
	5.6 Relevance of Kant’s Moral Philosophy for Governance
	5.7 Dharma: The Principle of Duty in the Bhagavad Gita
		5.7.1 Mohandas K. Gandhi on Dharma, Nishkama Karma and Anasakti Yoga
	5.8 Transition from Individual Morality to Institutional/Collective Morality
	5.9 John Rawls’ Justice as ‘Fairness’: Equality Versus Equity
	5.10 Rawls’ ‘Thought Experiment’ and the ‘Veil of Ignorance’
	5.11 Principles of Justice for Social Institutions
		5.11.1 Rawls’ ‘Difference Principle’ and Gandhi’s Principle of ‘Poorna Swaraj’ (Complete Self-rule)
	5.12 Justice as Entitlement: Robert Nozick’s ‘Minimal State' (Libertarianism)
	5.13 Contemporary Cosmopolitanism
	5.14 Principles of Cosmopolitanism and Public Policy
	5.15 Individual and Collective Responsibilities for Global Problems
	References
6 Human Well-Being: Moving Beyond Social Welfare and Human Rights
	6.1 Introduction
	6.2 Welfare Versus Well-Being: The Means Versus the End of Good Living
	6.3 Functionings and Capabilities
	6.4 Substantive Freedom, Well-Being Freedom and Agency Freedom
	6.5 Enhancing Capabilities Versus Protecting Human Rights
	6.6 How does Capability link with the Well-Being of a Person?
	6.7 Nussbaum’s List of Capabilities accommodating cultural differences
	6.8 Strengths and Weaknesses of the Capability Approach
	6.9 Can Capabilities be measured? The Incommensurability Problem
	6.10 Individual and Collective Capabilities
	References
7 Care, Community, Compassion and Virtue: Decolonizing Our Moral Landscape
	7.1 Introduction
	7.2 Virtue Ethics
		7.2.1 Basic Elements of Virtue Ethics
		7.2.2 Implications of Virtue Ethics for Public Policy
	7.3 Feminist Care Ethics
		7.3.1 Ethics of Care
		7.3.2 Care Ethics and Policy Matters
	7.4 Non-western Ethical Traditions, Concepts and Perspectives
		7.4.1 Hindu Ethics
		7.4.2 Buddhist Ethics
		7.4.3 Hospitality, Buen Vivir and Ubuntu: A Few Indigenous and African Ethical Concepts
	7.5 Conclusion
	References
8 Revisiting the Cases: The Ethical Toolbox in Praxis
	8.1 Introduction
		8.1.1 Case Study 1: The Sardar Sarovar Project
		8.1.2 Development, Democracy and the Environment
	8.2 Case Study 2: Animal Experimentation in India
	8.3 Case Study 3: The Reservation Policy in India
	References
9 Conclusion: Ethics of Governance: Moral Limits of Policy Decisions
	9.1 Introduction
	9.2 An Expanded, Versatile and Effective Toolbox for Governance: Highlights
	9.3 Limits of Ethics in Governance
		9.3.1 The Role of the Philosopher/Ethicist in Institutional Ethics Committees of Government Institutions
	References
Index