Theorizing Ethics: The Need for a Debate in the Changing Context of the Public Space in India

Abstract

This paper has two parts. In the first part, this paper deals with definition of ethics, its deeper understanding and the multiple interpretations of ethics. It attempts to briefly look into some of the attempts made by western thinkers and scholars to theorize ethics. In the second part, the paper critically views ethics in the Indian context and the ethical dimensions of public life. An attempt is made to touch upon the dilemmas that the country faces if it were to invoke the moral contours of any particular religion. This paper also tries to look into the challenges that a scholars may face when they venture out to theorize ethics in countries like India.