Mains Practice Questions

Introduction

Moral apathy refers to the indifference towards ethical responsibilities, social injustices, and civic duties. In the 21^st century, ethical challenges go beyond the active violation of ethics, such as corruption. While corruption directly breaches ethical norms, moral apathy allows unethical behavior to thrive by cultivating complacency and inaction.

Body

Moral Apathy as the Greater Ethical Challenge:

• Erosion of Civic Responsibility: People often remain silent in the face of injustice, enabling unethical practices.
  • Example: Bystander effect in cases like mob lynching incidents, where onlookers fail to intervene.
• Declining Public Accountability: Voter apathy and lack of demand for ethical governance result in a culture of impunity.
  • Example: Low voter turnout in elections despite rising concerns over governance and corruption.
• Workplace Ethics and Organizational Indifference: Employees ignoring unethical practices such as discrimination, harassment, or financial fraud.
  • Example: Whistleblower suppression in corporate scams (e.g., the 2008 financial crisis).
• Environmental Negligence: Public indifference to climate change, despite clear evidence of environmental degradation.
  • Example: Minimal individual action on pollution and waste management despite awareness campaigns.
• Social Inequalities and Lack of Empathy: Apathy towards marginalized communities leads to the persistence of systemic inequalities.
  • Example: Indifference to the plight of migrant workers during the Covid-19 lockdown in India.
• Political Indifference and Lack of Active Citizenship: People often tolerate unethical political practices instead of holding leaders accountable.
  • Example: Normalization of hate speech and misinformation in political discourse.

While moral apathy exacerbates unethical behavior, corruption remains a significant challenge:

• Institutional corruption weakens democracy and governance (e.g., scams like 2G spectrum, Commonwealth Games scam).
• Petty corruption in everyday services erodes public trust (e.g., bribery in government offices).
  • However, moral apathy allows corruption to thrive by discouraging accountability and action.

Way Forward

• Strengthening Moral Education: Integrating ethics in education can cultivate responsible citizenship.
• Encouraging Active Civic Engagement: Platforms for participatory governance and transparency can reduce public apathy.
• Whistleblower Protection and Accountability Mechanisms: Encouraging ethical behavior in workplaces and institutions.
• Promoting Social Empathy: Encouraging volunteerism and sensitization campaigns for social issues.

Conclusion

While corruption remains a significant ethical issue, moral apathy is the greater challenge as it allows corruption and other unethical practices to persist unchecked. Addressing moral apathy, sometimes referred to as the worst pandemic, through awareness, civic engagement, and ethical education is crucial for fostering a more just and responsible society.